


Monachopsis

by Solverne



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Arlathan, Elvhenan, Evanuris, Eventual Romance, F/M, Forgotten Ones, Lavellan from Arlathan, May The Dread Wolf Take You, The Forbidden Ones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2018-10-08 15:21:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 45
Words: 218,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10389732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solverne/pseuds/Solverne
Summary: Falling asleep in one world and waking in an entirely different one can be devastating, especially after great loss. Aravae finds herself a stranger in this new land and saved by Clan Lavellan. After befriending Ena'fen Lavellan and agreeing to go to the Conclave, Aravae's grasp on the new world continues to spiral out of control. It surprises her greatly to see a familiar face among the sea of people, yet it burdens her with being the only one who knows his true identity...Fen'harel himself.





	1. Chapter 1

**n. the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place, as maladapted to your surroundings as a seal on a beach—lumbering, clumsy, easily distracted, huddled in the company of other misfits, unable to recognize the ambient roar of your intended habitat, in which you'd be fluidly, brilliantly, effortlessly at home.**

 

* * *

 

 Aravae stared off into the distance at the small pilgrimage village of Haven, taking note of all the comings and goings of people that were making their way up to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, where the Conclave was to be held. The Conclave that was the only reason why she and her only friend were chilled to the bone in the snow atop one of the mountains overlooking the village. As she sat patiently, she ran her fingers through her long, wavy mahogany hair, setting it in a braid so it wouldn’t get in her way later. Sitting across her lap was her staff, ever close and ready, just in case.

 

“What do you think, Aravae?” chirped a voice from behind her.

 

The bare faced elf tore her gaze away from Haven and turned them to her companion: a woman bearing Ghilan’nain’s vallaslin with short, blazing red hair that was held half up in a ponytail, and bright golden eyes. How Ena’fen Lavellan was ever a good scout with how much her appearance made her stand out, Aravae would never figure out. “I think it’s going to be hard getting in without getting spotted, especially if we wait much longer.”

 

“Well, then, I guess we better get going.” Ena stood and secured her daggers at her waist, rolling her neck and shoulders. Still, even in this tense moment, Ena smiled. “For the clan, right?”

 

Aravae nodded after a moment’s hesitation, only a ghost of a smile pulling at her lips. “For the clan. Let’s go. Be careful.”

 

“Remember the rendezvous point?” Ena quizzed as she offered Aravae a hand to help pull her up.

 

“Yes, I do. Let’s get in and get out with the information we need. _Don’t_ linger. I don’t want to have to fight our way out.”

 

“Ma nuvenin, _mamae_.”

 

Aravae couldn’t help but roll her eyes and lightly slap Ena on the arm. “Just because _some_ of us don’t like fighting…”

 

“Ah, but you’re rather talented at it.” Ena sighed dramatically. “It’s such a waste. I mean, I don’t care for it either, if it can be avoided, but the way it gets your blood pumping can be exciting, too.”

 

Aravae shook her head and strapped her staff to her back as they walked. “Just put your hood on. The last thing we need is your hair drawing attention.”

 

Ena grumbled something unpleasant and threw her hood over her head.

 

The rest of their hike to the Temple of Sacred Ashes was silent as they moved as quickly as they could. They stayed low and were quick to duck behind boulders and trees when they started to come across patrols. Ena was swifter than Aravae, but the mage tried her hardest to keep up. Ena tried to take care and make sure that she didn’t move too far ahead and leave Aravae behind.

 

Making it past the first outlying patrols was the easy part. The closer they got, the more soldiers they saw. Aravae took note of the symbols on their armor, pondering on what the eye over what appeared to be a sun stood for. All these new countries and shemlen organizations still confused her. Things were much simpler when she was still asleep several years ago in uthenera. Though everyone had been at each other’s throats back then, the time of Elvhenan was much simpler.

 

This world that Aravae had awoken in was chaos and beyond anything she could understand. In the midst of that chaos, she found herself indebted to the Dalish clan of Lavellan and ended up remaining with them for longer than she realized as she tried to come up with a plan to try and locate any remnants of her people or temples. When they offered her a place among them, some time after the clan’s Second had been slain, she choked, unsure of what to do. Something within her told her to say yes. Perhaps it was because after losing everything, she could find some small semblance of a family within these poor elves who had lost their culture and way of life.

 

Aravae snapped her head up as she heard a quiet hiss emerge from Ena. The redhead darted ahead quickly and took cover in some thick, dead bushes that lined along the wall of the temple. A quick scan told her that she didn’t have time to move ahead, not even with a fadestep, as a large patrol rounded the corner of the temple. She tutted her tongue and backtracked quickly, pressing herself tightly against a tree, her staff pressing uncomfortably into her back. She cursed herself for not being able to move as quickly as she’d like and remained frozen to her spot. She listened to the clinking steps of armor until they came to a halt. It grew quiet and Aravae was tempted to glance around her cover, but that’s when she faintly heard conversation.

 

“Talk about short end of the stick, huh?”

 

“Yeah, really. The back end of the temple, out here freezing our butts off?”

 

“The Divine sure knows how to pick her locations…”

 

“Quiet. We’ve got our orders. If there’s a threat that tries to sneak into the Conclave, what better area to do it than here?”

 

“...You really think someone’ll try something?”

 

“There’s no telling. That’s why we’ve got to be ready.”

 

Aravae heaved a silent, yet heavy, sigh. They weren’t moving from their spot. If Ena was stuck in her position, she wouldn’t be able to scale the wall without being spotted. At this point, Aravae wouldn’t be able to sidestep around the guards and make her way inside. She wasn’t as stealthy and now she had more obstacles in her way. That left her with one option that she really didn’t care for.

 

Ena needed a diversion to get inside. Aravae could give her one. She just needed to hope she could remember her limits and not overdo it. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, calming her heart just as it was beginning to pound.

 

She stepped out from behind the tree and snapped her forest green eyes open, quickly counting twelve guards lined up along the wall. As the spotted her, they each seemed stunned, some tensing and reaching for weapons while they looked at each other for confirmation. Aravae sneered and taunted them with a small curtsy. “Hello, good sers.”

 

It was when she unlatched her staff to hold in hand that it made the guards with the odd armor symbol jerk into action. Aravae saw dark movement out of the corner of her eye behind the guards and could only imagine Ena’s exasperated face. Aravae didn’t have any more time to verify with her eyes that Ena took advantage of her situation before turning on heel and darting away. Shouts rose up from behind her and she could hear at least some of them chasing after her. She immediately fadestepped to give herself more of a head start, but after that, she focused on running. She didn’t want to find out if any of these guards had templar abilities. She wasn’t sure who they were, but Templars, at least, she had crossed before.

 

She ran as quickly as she could, not ever pausing to glance behind. She could hear their ungraceful steps and the harsh clanking of their armor, so she knew they hadn’t given up their pursuit yet. A couple shouts of, “Stop!” reached her ears, which only made her smile humorlessly. They had to be joking.

 

As she moved further away from the temple, she spotted a small, outer patrol not too far ahead. She frowned and gripped her staff tightly. The shemlens in front of her must’ve heard the ruckus, because the four of them turned to face her, weapons ready. She swung her staff, summoning several small orbs of purple electricity. The orbs shot forward towards her foes and though they tried to block them, once the orbs made contact, it shocked and stunned them. They were just snapping out of it as Aravae raced by, performing one more fadestep.

 

_Just a little further… Surely they wouldn’t follow me much longer…_

 

Aravae dared a glance over her shoulder. They were starting to fall behind, though they were still chasing after her vigorously. Or at least, as much as they could while covered in armor and struggling against the deepening snow. She changed direction, not wanting to lead them the same way she and Ena had approached from. Instead, she headed down the far side of the peak, away from Haven. She slid a few times, but managed to catch herself, though her lungs were beginning to grow tight in protest, making it hard to get a good breath of air.

 

As she thought, she didn’t have to go much further. She got back down in the treeline and was able to all but vanish from their line of sight. She found a larger tree and scaled it, knowing that if they wanted, all they had to do was follow her tracks and spot her, but she no longer heard them following her. As she perched on a sturdy branch, she fought to catch her breath and slow her thumping heart. The tension didn’t fade from her limbs as she remained wired and ready to run more, but her legs were grateful for the break. Charging through shin deep snow was not her idea of fun.

 

She waited several more minutes before allowing herself to release a sigh out loud. “Fenedhis, Ena. Please tell me you got in. If I did all this for nothing…”

 

Just in case the guards were still watching from higher ground, Aravae didn’t move from her spot for quite some time. Once she felt rested after her mad sprint, she scaled the tree a little more until she was able to peek from the tops of its branches and towards the top of the mountain. She saw nothing. No dark figures standing against the snow, waiting to catch a glimpse of her - or any other intruders.

 

She made her way out of the tree and started back up the mountain. Again, she took a different route. This way would lead her towards the small cave that she and Ena had chosen as a rendezvous point should they get separated. Grimacing, Aravae thought, _I didn’t think that I wouldn’t even make it inside. These shemlens aren’t messing around with their little Conclave._

 

The walk was chilly and long as she made slow progress, fighting against the deep snow as she went uphill. More than once, she slipped rather ungracefully and her face became quick friends with the cold substance on the ground. She’d shake her head with a glare before pressing on. She wasn’t even sure what she was doing there. She should be off, out somewhere - _anywhere_ \- else, looking for any remnants of the Elvhen. Instead, she was in the Frostback Mountains, risking her neck for a Dalish clan. Technically, she was now a part of their clan, but…

 

_It doesn’t matter. I’ll always be an outsider to them. A bare faced elf with a superiority complex since I don’t have vallaslin. Anymore, at least. I doubt any of them would even believe me if I told them what it stood for. I suppose I just can’t get past the feeling of being indebted to them after saving me._

 

By time she came to the cave, pleased that they went ahead and put away some firewood inside, the sun was beginning its descent in the sky. If Ena had managed to sneak inside, she would have been in the temple for the better part of several hours. Surely she could’ve gathered significant enough information and get back out by cover of dark? Even then, Aravae didn’t like the idea of waiting that long. Every minute Ena was in there was just one more that she could be discovered and captured. Still, they had a plan and Aravae would stick to it.

 

She got a small fire going to help warm her a little. She kept a sharp lookout on the landscape outside the cave, tensing up any time she heard the crunching of snow. Each time, it turned out to be an animal making its way by. She didn’t like the idea of being cornered in the small shelter should anyone come across it. When they scouted the area, it didn’t seem like anyone ventured to that particular area of the mountain. It was high, set away from the main road, and well enough out of sight that even if it grew dark out, the light of the fire wouldn’t be visible unless someone were truly looking for it.

 

She munched lightly on some slightly stale bread, not wanting to eat a full meal until her friend was with her again. It didn’t feel right to her to fill her stomach while Ena was still hiding away inside the Temple of Sacred Ashes, probably starving by now. Sure, they’d eaten a big breakfast, but it had been several hours since then. Just as she raised the bit of bread to take another bite, a roaring explosion reached her ears and the very mountain itself shook violently.

 

It only lasted for a couple of seconds, but it was enough to make Aravae leap to her feet, dropping the bread. She snatched up her staff and ran outside, not bothering to even put the fire out. The ground still felt as though it were shaking lightly and she could hear loud crashes, like rock rolling off the mountain. She pushed her way through the snow as best she could, fadestepping when she had an opportunity, trying to make it to the top of the peak so she could see the temple. She had been so focused, gaze turned down towards the ground, that her mouth dropped open when she glanced upwards.

 

The sky was turning green, the clouds swirling around what almost seemed like an eye of a storm. She could see flashes of light emerging from the center and falling to the earth, causing a loud _boom_ wherever they landed. Her lips barely moved as she whispered to herself, “Is...that the Fade? A rip in the Veil?”

 

Tearing her gaze away, she looked for the temple. Frowning, her eyes darted towards several locations before looking back at what she now saw: ruins. Hardly even that. Where the grand Temple of Sacred Ashes had stood was now a pile of rubble and a few standing - though thoroughly crumbled - walls. Her heart sunk into her stomach.

 

_Ena._

 

Aravae started moving again with urgency. Once she was in view, she looked down the mountain at Haven. Squinting, she could see large numbers of people charging from the village up the mountain. She needed to be quick if she wanted to get there first. She took care to not fadestep too much. She didn’t want to wear herself out, though it was still hard to remember her limitations since she couldn’t pull as much magic from the Fade as she used to be able to. She could feel a cold sweat breaking out on her brow and neck as she pushed forward, her mind racing, trying to explain to her what was happening; Except she had no clue.

 

She could hear a rumbling growing louder as one of the shooting lights came racing in her direction. She ducked out of the way, nearly falling face first into the snow as it crashed not far behind her. Picking herself up, she spun around, staff at the ready and eyes narrowed. From the small crater, two wraiths and a despair demon formed, racing towards her. Jumping backwards, she cast a quick barrier as her frown deepened. _Demons? So that_ **_must_ ** _be a hole in the Veil. What in the world could have caused that? A foci-?_

 

The despair demon gave off an awful shriek and swung a hand, firing an ice shard at Aravae. She sidestepped out of the way, nearly tripping in the snow. Deciding that now wasn’t the time to think about anything other than what was in front of her, she felt the crackling of her electricity around her. She twirled her staff around, shooting off a few bolts at the wraiths first. One connected while the other one managed to dodge it. Focusing on the one that was hit, she slammed her staff in the ground, summoning a cage of electricity. It managed to snag the wraith as well as the despair demon that had wandered just a little too close. She called forth her orbs and sent them out towards the cage. The wraith cried out as it faded away, the despair demon roaring in anger as it tried to smash its way out of the cage.

 

Knowing it would only hold for a few seconds more, Aravae focused on the other wraith. She shot a singular, more powerful, lightning bolt at it. It stunned it as it flew backwards just enough to collide with the cage. The extra voltage was enough to make it fade.

 

She cried out with pain as she felt two of the desire demon’s ice shards impact against her weakening barrier, one on her ribs and one on her arm. She winced as she backed up a little, knowing she’d definitely feel that for a couple of days. It was better than being impaled, at least.

 

Taking a moment to catch her breath, she waited for the demon to make a move. It hovered in the air, moving back and forth ever so slightly. It seemed like a small standoff. Aravae removed one hand from her staff and reached for her thigh, drawing a dagger. With a cry and a strong flick of her wrist, the dagger sailed through the air towards the demon. It tried to slip out of its path, but it caught the creature’s shoulder. In the moment it paused in pain, Aravae shot one more bolt at it. The dagger landed softly in the snow as it faded. She quickly retrieved it and wiped the sweat from her brow.

 

She was too late by time she reached the area near the temple. It was swarming with soldiers, all desperately calling for survivors. Aravae couldn’t even hardly tell where she was, the destruction was so severe. She kept out of sight as she, too, scanned the wastes and looking for bodies. There weren’t even corpses with flesh, she came to realize in horror. Only skeletal remains. What if Ena was one of them? She’d never be able to tell. The pit in her stomach grew heavier as she felt like getting sick. She breathed shallowly, but pushed herself onward.

 

It was growing difficult for her to make any progress. The number of soldiers was not near the strength of an army, but it was enough to be a hassle for Aravae to try and sneak around. She tried not to focus on the wails she heard coming from some of them as they lost hope for finding anyone still alive. Ena _had_ to be alive. She _had_ to be. Perhaps she’d gotten away from the temple before...whatever happened, happened.

 

A single shout brought the entire area to silence: “Over here! A woman!”

 

Everyone grew still for a few moments, unsure if they had heard correctly. Then, many flocked to the area where a few soldiers were standing around, looking at the ground. Aravae frowned, unable to see. She spotted a good climbing area where she could both get high enough to see everything and not be spotted herself. She strapped her staff and starting climbing, wincing as some of the rock or wall she grabbed was sharp enough to cut her. Once she made it to the top of the rubble, she lay as flat as she could and saw the gathering of soldiers around a singular body.

 

A body with flaming red hair.

 

A body with pointed ears.

 

A thick sigh of relief rushed past Aravae’s lips. It was Ena. There was no one else it could be. She struggled to see any further indications as to her wellbeing. She counted all four limbs. She couldn’t see the rise and fall of her chest, but she could only assume she was alive by the way the soldiers were rolling her over onto her back and examining her. The odd thing was her left hand. It appeared to be glowing a bright green, the color of the sky swirling above them. She then noted that when she saw a bright flash come from above, the glow about her hand brightened for a brief moment. When it did, the Dalish woman cried out and winced, but her golden eyes didn’t open.

 

Aravae could hear faint voices and only fragmented words bounce up to her. She couldn’t figure out what they were talking about. A man with golden hair and a cloak with fur and a woman with shortly cropped hair and a fierce expression ran up to the group of soldiers. The man barked some orders and most of the soldiers cleared out, probably to search for more survivors. The woman knelt down to examine Ena, blocking Aravae’s view. She could tell that whatever words she and the man were exchanging seemed heated. With a wave of the woman’s hand, the remaining soldiers dispersed. The man knelt on the other side of Ena and scooped her up into his arms.

 

Aravae tsked, keeping her eyes trained on those two. They were walking with long strides, two soldiers accompanying them. They were leaving the temple. _No doubt headed down to Haven._ **_Now_ ** _what do I do?_

 

She scaled down the rubble she was atop, moving back into the shadows. She heard no more shouts from the soldiers as she moved out of the area, keeping a watchful eye on the pathway leading down into the small valley. She even dared to wander closer to the village than she had before, just to ensure she could keep the man and woman in her sights. When they entered through the open gates, she hesitated, remaining where she was. After pondering for a moment, she found a good tree to scale. Once she was near the top, she looked back at Haven and spotted the man and woman walking into the large building at the back of the village, disappearing inside. She leaned her back against the body of the tree and exhaled through her nose.

  
_Well, this is great,_ she thought grimly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, there! It has been quite some time since I've written a new story, but this is my first time with writing a Dragon Age one. Please be kind, but I would love to hear what you all think - criticism welcome! (May I re-emphasized please be kind? :D) I hope you enjoyed this first installment of many in this adventure I'm all too excited to write and try to put a twist on! I also hope to see you all at the next chapter. :)
> 
> I am also on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/solverne


	2. Chapter 2

It felt like forever to Aravae as she waited up on the mountain, hidden in the trees, for a sign of Ena’s bright red hair emerging from Haven. She was beginning to think that perhaps the shemlen that had taken her had killed her, believing her guilty for whatever had happened, especially since she wasn’t supposed to be there. That thought made her clench her fists until her knuckles were white. Hopefully, these people were more reasonable than that. Perhaps it was the opposite and Ena was just injured and they were tending to her.

 

Either way, Aravae was growing impatient and was starting to try and think of a plan that could get her inside of the now makeshift war camp. Soldiers were constantly going to and from Haven, either going out to fight the never ending waves of demons or returning tired and injured. Part of her wanted to go out and help, but she also felt like her help may not be welcome. More than once, she did have to get involved in a skirmish when demons appeared too close to her for her liking. She came away from her fights with few injuries; Mostly bruises, but there were a few scratches. 

 

Her food stash was beginning to run low. She needed to come up with a plan of action, one way or another. She was worried to move from her spot for too long, for fear that Ena would leave and she would miss it. She had seen the man with blonde hair leave Haven and not return, but the woman with the short hair seemed to be everywhere. Aravae assumed she had to be in some sort of commanding position, as was the man, with the way she would speak to the men in armor and then they would run off with purpose.

 

It was the early afternoon of the fourth day before she caught a glimpse of that unmistakable hair. Aravae tensed and sat up straight, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her, that she was only imagining what she wanted to see. She watched as the woman with short hair led Ena through Haven, all the people within moving out of the way, but clearly staring at them. When they left the gates and started heading up the mountain, Aravae grabbed her staff and went on the move. She tried to pick a path that she could take that would keep her in view of the main trail leading up to the Temple of Sacred Ashes’ ruins, but she didn’t think it was quite possible.

 

She hurried to try and keep them in view, but stay out of view at the same time. By time she found a decent route, she saw Ena equipped with unfamiliar daggers as she and the short haired woman fought off a pair of demons. The Dalish woman appeared to be in okay condition as she twirled around the battlefield as gracefully as she always did, slipping out of the way of attacks and striking when the demons weren’t looking. Once the demons disappeared and the battle was over, the shemlen woman went over to Ena, bearing her sword in a threatening stance. Aravae tensed, ready to jump in and help if it were needed. After a few spoken words from Ena, the other woman seemed to relax, sheathing the sword. They pressed on, Aravae following along with a grimace.

 

_ So, is she their prisoner? Or is she cooperating with them for something?  _ A flash of green around Ena emitted and the Dalish let out a cry of pain before falling to her knees. She was clutching her hand tightly.  _ Something is on her hand. I thought I saw something the other day...but what exactly is it? _

 

Aravae tsked as the pathway began to narrow and the sides of the mountain grew steeper. She had to adjust her plan and start trailing behind them. Thankfully, they weren’t passing any other soldiers on the trail, but she still made sure to keep a good distance between them and hide when she needed. As she made her way closer to try and eavesdrop on their brief conversations, she managed to catch some snippets. The harsh words from the short haired warrior made it seem as if Ena was a prisoner, after all. Aravae could judge by Ena’s body language that she seemed irritated. By what, precisely, she couldn’t quite tell. There was so much going on, including some that Aravae wasn’t sure about, that it could be anything.

 

As they came to a snow-covered set of stairs, the shemlen woman broke into a sprint, drawing her sword. “We’re getting close to the rift! You can hear the fighting.”

 

Ena rushed after her, daggers in hand. “Who’s fighting?”

 

“You’ll see soon. We must help them.”

 

Once the duo made it to the top of the stairs and jumped down to lower ground, Aravae hurried up after them, her staff in her grasp and ready, just in case. She knelt down behind the small wall and peered around the edge. She saw several individuals with weapons in a clash with demons. Above them was what Aravae took a moment to study. It was bright green, the color of the Fade and the color of the sky. It appeared to look like some sort of a rip in the very air itself and that was where the demons were emerging from. She glanced back to the engagement and it took only a moment to spot Ena, stabbing at a demon before her. 

 

She didn’t see the one coming up behind her, claws raised and ready to come down. No one else saw it, either.

 

Cursing, Aravae jumped out of her hiding spot and waved her free hand, wrapping Ena in a barrier. With the other, she aimed her staff quickly and fired a bolt of lightning that struck the demon in the back. In its moment of stun, Ena spun around to face it and made quick work of it. Her golden eyes widened with shock at Aravae’s presence, to which the Elvhen woman gave a small shrug. They both focused on the fighting for the moment. There’d be time for conversation after.

 

With all the demons dispatched a few minutes later, Aravae heard a shout, “Quickly! Before more come through!”

 

She turned her gaze to see from behind an elf man - possible Elvhen, judging by his bodily structure?! - grab Ena’s left hand and turn it upwards towards the hole in the air. What appeared to be a stream of magic connected from Ena’s hand and flowed towards the hole. With a loud  _ crrrack _ , the hole sewed up tight. The man quickly released Ena’s hand as she snatched it away from him. Aravae tilted her head slightly, thinking for a moment that his voice seemed familiar.

 

“Another apostate? Who are  _ you _ ?!”

 

Aravae calmly looked towards the short haired woman, whose sword was now turned towards her, her shield raised and ready to be used. Before Aravae could even respond, Ena brushed by her to stand in between them, hands held up a calming manner. “Please, Cassandra, she’s my friend. She came with me to help me, but we were separated.” Ena then spun around and wrapped her arms around Aravae, engulfing her in a tight, desperate hug. “I was so worried about you,” she whispered into Aravae’s shoulder.

 

She returned the hug as best she could, wanting to soothe the young woman. “Me? I was worried about you. I was far away from the temple by time the explosion happened, but I saw you were taken into Haven…”

 

“Yes…” Ena released her and stepped back with a small, reassuring smile. The scar that extended from the left side of the bottom of her lip to her chin shifted with her expression.  “I’ll try and explain everything later. Until then, would you be able to help us?”

 

While Cassandra seemed to relax slightly, she kept a tight handle on her sword hilt. “You want her to come  _ with  _ us?”

 

“Please.” Ena turned back to the warrior woman. “She’s very well practiced with her magic. She would be a great help to us.”

 

The dwarven man that was waiting in the background stepped forward with a small grunt. “Oh, come now, Cassandra. Any help is pretty welcome at this point, don’t you think?”

 

After a moment of deliberation, Cassandra grunted, displeased, but sheathed her sword. Ena flashed a smile in thanks, but it faded quickly as she looked towards the bald elf. “But...what did you do? With my hand?”

 

Words left the man’s mouth, but Aravae couldn’t hear it. As her gaze fell on the man’s face, her very heart seemed to stop and her breath caught painfully in her throat. While he had no hair, there was no mistaking that steely gaze, those auburn-red brows, and that small scar by his right brow. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her heart then began to pound heavily, painfully, as her shock slipped into confusion and hurt.

 

_ Solas?! I thought he was dead! What is he doing  _ **_here_ ** _?! _

 

For only a moment, his eyes met hers with only a flash of a stern expression rather than the polite, patient exterior he was giving off. His sign for her to wait. 

 

Sound slowly returned to her ears as the durgen'len spoke, “...Varric Tethras. Rogue, storyteller...occasionally, unwelcome tagalong.”

 

She blinked a couple of times and tried to return to the conversation. She wasn’t able to focus on words until, “My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions. I am pleased to see you yet live.”

 

She shook her head slightly and took a couple of deep breaths. While she recomposed her expression, her heart still pounded against her ribcage, making it hard to breathe. The durgen'len, Varric, turned to her with a friendly grin. “And you?”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yeah. What’s your name?”

 

Ena glanced at her over her shoulder and gave her an encouraging look. “Aravae,” she replied shortly. Ena seemed pleased that the older woman gave a response.

 

Varric hummed and crossed his arms with a thoughtful look. “Nah, I’ll come up with something.”

 

Another disgusted noise came from Cassandra as she snapped, “Let’s get going.”

 

Aravae and Ena glanced at each other with a shrug and followed after the woman. Varric made a comment from behind them about someone named Bianca being excited. No one verbally paid it any mind. Aravae, in an attempt to push her thoughts of Solas to the back of her mind, began interrogating Ena. “So, what happened? Is that magic in your hand? You’ve never displayed any power before…”

 

Ena gave off a nervous laugh, rubbing her left hand with her right. “Well, it’s complicated. I don’t think any of us really understand what’s happening.” Her expression became more focused as she furrowed her brows. “The last thing I really remember was getting separated from you and walking into the temple. Beyond that, it’s incredibly fuzzy. Something chased me and I think I remember seeing the silhouette of a woman.”

 

“Ah, don’t remember? Should have spun a story,” Varric commented sagely.

 

“That’s what  _ you _ would have done,” Cassandra hissed.

 

Aravae thought dryly to herself that Cassandra seemed to be quite a brash woman. Varric barked a short laugh before replying, “It’s more believable. And less likely to result in premature execution.”

 

It fell icily silent after that as they pressed on. Aravae, desperate to get more information, asked, “So what is that in the sky?”

 

With a gesture to the human leading the way, Ena said, “ _ They’re _ calling it the Breach. It’s a rip in the Veil, allowing demons to come through.”

 

Aravae nodded slowly, not entirely surprised. She had theorized something close enough. But… “What caused it?”

 

“The explosion.”

 

“How did you survive?”

 

“That’s...part of what I don’t remember.” Ena sounded strained, as though trying to physically pull her memories forth. “When I came to, I had this...mark thing on my hand. It’s getting bigger as the Breach expands.”

 

Aravae held out a hand and Ena offered hers up. Looking at the swirling green light in her hand, she frowned. “Does it hurt?”

 

“Yes, quite a bit,” Ena admitted. “But I suppose, judging by what just happened, it can close these smaller rips.”

 

“That does seem to be the case,” Solas agreed.

 

Ena’s expression shifted to concern. “So, did you learn anything about it while I slept?”

 

“Not much, regrettably. Only that however it came to be, it was caused by something extremely powerful.”

 

It took everything in Aravae not to turn around and stare him in the face. Even if he was weaker now because of the Veil, he still was more than likely far stronger than all of those in his presence. Possibly combined. Although, it made her question it when she let her magic slide out a little and brush against his, that he was keeping rather close and tight to himself. It was definitely significantly weaker.  _ Could he have somehow caused all of this? I don’t feel his foci’s energy. _

 

They ran into several more skirmishes with demons, all of which were dispatched without too much trouble. They arrived at what Cassandra kept referring to as the forward camp, where Aravae silently watched as the warrior woman and the new redheaded woman, Leliana, fell into a debate with this Roderick character, whom she quickly decided she didn’t care for. As it seemed the conversation would never stop circling, Aravae was slightly stunned when Cassandra then asked for Ena’s input. The smaller woman beside her seemed to shrink back a little, unsure of why she was being pulled into this. After explaining, Ena glanced at Aravae, but stood a little taller, deciding that they would go straight into the fray with the soldiers.

 

Straight in they went, passing by several large groups of soldiers that were carrying away wounded. Ena kept her daggers drawn and tightly gripped. Aravae remained close to her and squeezed her shoulder, silently telling the woman that she wasn’t alone and didn’t have to be afraid. Though she relaxed slightly, Ena gave off a humorless laugh as they drew closer to the Breach. “How are you not entirely freaked out like I am?”

 

“Don’t be mistaken - I’m most definitely confused. However, I’m also focusing on stopping that,” she gestured to the mark on Ena’s hand, “from spreading and causing you more pain.”

 

“I suppose I should probably try and do the same. It hurts like nothing I’ve felt before.”

 

Aravae nodded. “Stay focused on that. You don’t want to have your mind spinning in several directions when you’re fighting.”

 

“That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. I’m rarely distracted in an actual fight.”

 

“Speaking of which…”

 

They came upon one of the smaller rifts, where several soldiers were fighting. Amidst the dull background, a flash of gold and red caught Aravae’s eye. It was the man she’d seen going in and out of Haven along with Cassandra, wielding a sword and shield. They jumped into the fight and helped clear out the demons, Ena sealing the rift shut with a pained cry. As Aravae ensured Ena was okay, she could hear the man’s voice drifting to her ears. It didn’t escape Aravae’s notice that Cassandra also referred to Ena as “the prisoner”, to which it made the Dalish woman seem uncomfortable. The man - Commander Cullen, if she heard correctly - then spoke to Ena directly, curt and to the point.

 

“I hope they’re right about you. We’ve lost a lot of people getting you here.”

 

Ena swallowed and tried to stand a little taller. “I’m here to help and if it means closing that thing… Well, I’ll do my best.”

 

Cullen gave a single nod and a grunt before announcing the way was clear. As he wished them luck, he rushed to help a limping soldier back towards the forward camp, though not before he gave Aravae a puzzling expression, clearly wondering who she was and why she was there. As they pressed forward, more slowly, stepping around the charcoaled corpses that appeared to be frozen in eternal fear, Ena released a shuddering breath.

 

“Are you okay?” Aravae inquired softly for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon.

 

“Yeah, yeah, just a bit...overwhelmed? Intimidated? Exhausted? Take your pick.”

 

“I’m sorry. I wish I could do more to help.”

 

Ena gave Aravae a warm smile after shaking her head. “No, just you being here is a great help. It puts my mind at ease.”

 

The gentle kindness of Ena always managed to make Aravae give a smile in return, no matter how small. “Well, have no fear, lethallan. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“Here we are,” Cassandra called from just up ahead. The others met her up near a railing, which overlooked a crater within the ruins, perhaps where the original explosion had occurred. From high in the air, the Breach crackled and glowed ominously. “This is your chance the end this. Are you ready?”

 

“Just find a way to get me up there,” Ena muttered, flexing her hand.

 

Varric gestured to a way they could get down into the crater as Leliana joined up behind them with several more people, most armed with bows. Everyone spread out to different positions, nocking their arrows and prepping. When they started hearing a loud, booming voice in the very air around them, they all grew alarmed.

 

“What are we hearing?” Cassandra demanded breathlessly.

 

“At a guess? The person who created the Breach,” Solas replied with a troubled tone.

 

Varric’s stride slowed once he spotted the lyrium sticking out of the ground, a strange, blood red color. His tone that appeared to be normally sarcastic and carefree appeared to be heavy with concern. “You know that’s red lyrium, Seeker.”

 

“I  _ see  _ it, Varric.”

 

“But what’s it  _ doing _ here?”

 

Solas pondered aloud, “Magic could have drawn on lyrium beneath the temple, corrupted it…”

 

Varric hissed in disgust. “It’s evil. Whatever you do, don’t touch it.”

 

Aravae frowned at the crystalline stalagmites. She had to agree with the durgen'len. She wasn’t sure exactly what, but something about the raw red lyrium gave her a bad pit in her stomach. She made sure to steer clear of it as they made it the rest of the way down to the large rift that Solas theorized could close the Breach. The entire situation only grew stranger as they then not only heard more voices, but saw glowing figures up in the air, one of them Ena. As Aravae glanced at her, she saw that Ena’s lips were parted and her brows were drawn in a deep frown.

 

“You  _ were _ there! Who attacked? And the Divine, is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?” Cassandra sounded panicked and confused, desperate for answers.

 

“I don’t remember!” Ena snapped. 

 

Aravae was about to step between the two as they edged dangerously close to each other, but saw Solas stepping slowly closer to the rift. He quietly spoke aloud to himself for a moment. “Echoes of what happened here. The Fade bleeds into this place.” Speaking louder, he determined that Ena needed to finish opening up the rift in order to reseal it properly, though it would possibly bring more demons.

 

Everyone got into position, Ena grumbling darkly about, “Great, more demons,” as she drew her daggers. Aravae nodded silently in agreement.

 

Solas wasn’t lying. The moment Ena ripped the rift back open, a large pride demon came forth, roaring with laughter, sparks flying from its hands. A sneer came to Aravae’s lips.  _ Fight lightning with lightning, huh? _

 

The battle dragged on for some time as everyone darted in to assault the demon’s legs, then rolled out of the way as best they could when it retaliated. Solas was quick to throw out as many barriers as he could to help keep injuries to a minimum. Realizing that it wasn’t a bad idea, Aravae did the same, trying to help cover those who got closer than intending to being electrocuted by the creature. At last, it finally fell to a knee. Cassandra bellowed an order and everyone charged in together, destroying the last of the demon’s strength. As it faded away, the warrior then shouted, “Now! Seal the rift!”

 

Ena sheathed one of her daggers and ran underneath the massive tear. She threw her hand in the air, the magic connecting. She was visibly gritting her teeth with effort, her knees shaking. Solas stood close to her side, observing carefully, though his eyes flashed with worry, as if he decided perhaps this attempt wouldn’t work after all. With a loud  _ crack _ and a blinding flash of light, it appeared as though the rift sealed up and shot back into the sky, slamming into the Breach. Ena instantly collapsed, dropping her other dagger, though Solas quickly let go of his staff and caught her enough to slow her descent.

 

Aravae raced to their side, her eyes looking for signs of life. Surely Ena had to be okay. She didn’t just survive all of that to be killed by sealing a single, large rift in the Fade. How could Aravae return to Clan Lavellan with news of Ena’s death? How could she possibly look the Keeper in the eye? How could she live with herself for breaking her promise to protect Ena?

 

A soft moan escaped Ena’s mouth and Aravae sighed in relief. She was alive, at least for now. She carefully picked up Ena’s dagger and returned it to its sheathe on the woman’s waist. Solas examined the mark on her hand with sharp eyes, seeing details Aravae couldn’t even imagine. “Will she be alright?” she asked in a low whisper.

 

“Honestly… I am not sure,” he admitted. He tore his gaze from the mark and looked towards Cassandra. “We should return her to Haven with the utmost haste. Her skin is already breaking out in a sweat. Whatever just happened could have had severe negative effects.”

 

Cassandra considered his words for a moment. Deciding he sounded rather dire, she and Leliana exchanged quick words before gesturing. “Hurry, then. This way.”

 

Solas scooped up the small Dalish woman before Aravae could offer to help. “You’ve got her?”

 

“Yes, she isn’t heavy. Could you grab my staff for me?”

 

Aravae snatched up his weapon from the ground and followed after them, Varric coming up to her side, remaining quiet. With a little bit of difficulty, they got back out of the ruins of the temple and were heading back towards the forward camp, rushing through a number of soldiers that were cheering from what appeared to be a victory. Once they noticed no one was stopping to celebrate with them, they fell hesitantly silent. 

 

“Cullen!” Leliana called, running up to the commander, who looked eager to hear what had happened. Sensing the urgency, he merely frowned in an inaudible question. “Is your horse still in the camp?”

 

“Yes, but-”

 

“You must take the prisoner back to Haven, quickly. Have Adan immediately take a look at her.”

 

Cullen’s eyes darted from Leliana to the unconscious figure in Solas’s arms. He nodded and walked briskly alongside Leliana, waving for the others to follow. Once they were in the camp, he shouted for his horse to be brought forth. He climbed up into the saddle before Solas cautiously passed Ena up. Aravae wanted to insist on finding another mount to follow along with them back to Haven so that she could remain at Ena’s side, but she bit her tongue. It seemed that the shemlens around her called Ena a prisoner, they didn’t appear to want to let her die, either. With Ena securely resting against his chest, Cullen clicked his tongue and tapped his heels to urge his horse forward. They raced out of the forward camp.

 

Once they were out of sight, Solas inquired, “Shall we go after them? I would like to be able to examine the mark as soon as possible, to ensure it isn’t causing further damage.”

 

“Momentarily. I would like to speak with you.”

 

When it fell silent, Aravae glanced over at Leliana and noticed her sharp gaze was set upon her. The Elvhen woman frowned slightly and handed Solas his staff back. “I wouldn’t mind, but I would much prefer to do so after we make sure Ena is going to be okay.”

 

“I will not allow such a stranger into Haven without knowing your intentions.”

 

“The prisoner said-”

 

“ _ Ena _ ,” Aravae interrupted Cassandra with a small growl.

 

The dark haired woman scrunched her nose with displeasure at being cut off, but took a breath. “ _ Ena _ said that you came along with her to help her.”

 

“I did.”

 

“So you are a Lavellan as well?” Leliana clarified.

 

Aravae hesitated, not used to giving the answer. “Yes. Aravae Lavellan.”

 

“But you bear no vallaslin?”

 

“A brilliant observation.”

 

Leliana was not amused by her snarky quip. “Would you care to explain? Vallaslin is a very important part of Dalish culture.”

 

“I am not a true Dalish, nor am I a city elf. I was a wanderer for a long time, then happened across the Lavellan clan. They saved my life. I felt indebted, so I remained with them. It’s been quite some time, so the Keeper was kind enough to offer me a place among them.”

 

“There weren’t too many mages?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why did the two of you try to sneak into the Conclave?”

 

Aravae leaned on her staff, wanting to choose her next words carefully. “Keeper Deshanna isn’t a fool. Though the Dalish try to stay out of the way of shemlens, she knows that whatever the results would have been of your Conclave would have affected everyone. We were here to find out what was going to happen.”

 

Leliana stared at her scrutinizingly. Aravae did not falter, staring right back at her. “You did not cause the explosion?”

 

“No. You heard the voice back there, did you not?” Leliana did not entertain her with a reply. Sighing, feeling slightly irritated by the impromptu interrogation, Aravae explained, “I wasn’t anywhere near the temple when it happened. Ena and I were in the process of getting inside when we were separated right outside the walls. She managed to get inside, I imagine. I caused a small diversion for her. No, I didn’t kill any of your people. I escaped over the mountain and made my way to a cave we found for a rendezvous that overlooks the main road. Go investigate it if you wish. There’ll be evidence of a fire and some few supplies left inside. I was there when the explosion happened and I tried to make my way back to find her, but your soldiers were already swarming the area. I staked out Haven, followed when you led her up here, and intervened when she was about to be attacked.”

 

After digesting the information for a moment, Leliana crossed her arms. “And what is your plan now?”

 

“To go and see if Ena is going to live.”

 

“If she does?”

 

“Then I’ll see what she wants to do. I’m not planning on launching any sort of attack or anything. I just want to get her and leave, honestly. However,” she narrowed her eyes, “I feel it isn’t going to be as simple as that.”

 

“You are probably correct,” Cassandra agreed. “At the least, I no longer feel she is guilty for having caused the explosion.”

 

Leliana clenched her jaw. “We can discuss that later. Very well. Solas, Varric, if you want to lead her back to Haven, go ahead. We will be along later.”

 

“Right,” Varric chirped, all to ready to leave the area. “Well, let’s get going, then.”

 

The hike down was relatively quiet. Varric would occasionally ask Aravae a couple of questions, but got the hint after he received incredibly vague answers. Where had she come from?  _ Far away. _ Was she a hedge mage like Solas?  _ Not exactly. _ How had she avoided the Templars during the war going on?  _ She was careful. _ How had clan Lavellan saved her life?  _ By being at the right place at the right time. _

 

The entire time, she avoided making much eye contact with Solas. Rather, she avoided any conversation with him. She wasn’t sure how to speak to him. Varric finally mumbled something about being in company that didn’t appreciate dialogue and fell silent. Once they came to Haven’s gates, they could tell that it was abuzz with low excitement. People seemed anxious, but weren’t exactly sure what over. The Breach was still in the sky, but it was no longer pulsing. Was it sealed for the time being? Would demons continue to rain down? Was the prisoner that caused everything going to survive?

 

Aravae was concerned about that, too.

 

Solas cleared his throat to capture the attention of one of the guards at the entrance. “Excuse me. Could you tell me where the commander took the Dalish woman?”

 

The guard furrowed his brows for a moment before raising them in recognition. “Oh, you’re the-... Yes, he took her back into the chantry.” He pointed for clarification. “Master Adan is in there with them.”

 

“Excellent. Thank you.”

 

As they moved off towards the large building in the back of the village, Varric spoke up. “Well, I don’t want to get in the way, so I’ll just...head back to my tent, I suppose. Could use some shut eye. But let me know if you need anything.”

 

“Thank you, Master Tethras.” Solas nodded.

 

“Master, huh?” Varric repeated with a chuckle and a small shake of his head before veering off from them.

 

Aravae stuck close to Solas, keeping her head down, not liking all of the staring eyes that were upon them. She was just about to say something to him when he spoke softly instead in their native language.  _ “Meet me tonight in the Fade. I will explain things then.” _

 

“Ma nuvenin,” she whispered in return.

 

After entering the chantry, Solas veered off to one of the side rooms where many of the sisters were looking towards. Solas gave a polite, quick knock on the door before going ahead and letting himself in. Cullen spun around to face them, seemingly tense. The man Aravae assumed to be Adan was hovering over Ena as she remained still and unconscious atop a bed. Her cheeks were turning a rosy red color. Her entire body glistened with sweat. Aravae wanted to remain out of the way, so she remained back as Solas stepped forward. He and Adan began speaking quietly to each other, Adan shaking his head rather profusely. Solas rolled up his sleeves and glanced over his shoulder. He held out his staff and said, “Do you mind?”

 

Aravae quickly stepped forward and took it from him before backing up again. She watched intently as they began to notate everything going on with her, debating on how they should treat her. She had a million questions she wanted to ask, but she knew it was best that they remain focused on Ena right now. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and the silence that stretched between her and Cullen was awkward. She could see out of the corner of her eye that he was glancing back and forth between her and the two working on their patient.

 

As if sensing the man’s discomfort, Solas spoke up without looking back, “Commander, if you are needed elsewhere, don’t feel obligated to remain here. I will inform you or the Seeker if there is an update.”

 

“Ah, well...thank you. I’ll leave you to it, then. I’ll have a word with the guards I’m leaving at the gate. If you need anything, ask them.”

 

“I appreciate it, Commander.”

 

Aravae gave the man a quick nod as he returned it, leaving the room rather quickly. Sensing it was going to be a while, Aravae quietly sat down in a chair, leaning Solas’s staff against the wall beside her. She watched as he coated his hands in ice magic and worked at trying to lower Ena’s temperature. A young elf woman burst into the room, hands full with a bucket of herbs. She seemed startled at Aravae’s presence, but ran over to Adan’s side, offering the herbs.

 

It was a long evening and Aravae was beginning to feel rather exhausted by all that had happened throughout the day. A couple of times, Solas and Adan argued on what precisely they should be doing. When Adan would mutter about Ena’s hand occasionally glowing, though it seemed to cause her no pain, Solas explained that the mark was full of unknown magic. Eventually, Aravae built a fire to both warm it in the small room and to help the men see what they were doing. Finally, Ena was tucked underneath the blankets and Adan wrote a couple of notes down on a piece of paper. Solas informed them that he would return after going to find one of those in charge to give them an update on Ena’s status. Adan hovered, feeling Ena’s forehead and checking her pulse, grunting each time he did so, as though unhappy with the results. Aravae wanted to go up and see her for herself, but she still waited.

 

When Solas did return, it was with Cassandra. He gave her a basic rundown: she was incredibly clammy with a racing pulse, shallow breaths, and dilated pupils. She hadn’t responded to any of the treatments they had done and her mark did flare up from time to time. He assured her that they had done all they could do, but they would continue to keep an eye on her. Cassandra, in turn, informed them that there appeared to be no more demons falling from the Breach, only those that were still coming forth from the already existing, smaller rifts. The Breach had not been entirely sealed, but had at least stopped growing for the time being. Solas nodded thoughtfully and Aravae could see his mind working. Cassandra then thanked Adan for his help and told him he could go to help out with the injured soldiers they had. Her gaze then fell to Aravae.

 

“Are you going to keep a vigil on her?”

 

“I can, yes.”

 

Cassandra slowly nodded. “Solas, go and get some rest. You let him know if anything changes. I will have a guard posted outside.” She didn’t have to add the implied,  _ just in case you get any ideas about trying anything, _ aloud.

 

“I understand.”

 

Solas described to her where he was currently staying as he gathered his staff before meeting her eyes one last time and exiting, Cassandra right behind him. 

 

With it finally quiet, Aravae heaved a sigh. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and stood up, taking the strides over to Ena’s side. She looked down at the redhead and had a guilty pit in her stomach. The poor girl  _ was  _ breathing shallowly and rapidly, as Solas had said. She wasn’t flinching and her eyes remained still behind their lids. It was as if she was in some awful coma with no dreams. 

 

Why was it Ena that was having to suffer from this? It was supposed to be a relatively easy mission for the clan that just required a lot of traveling to get there and back. Yet here the woman was lying, ill as could be for something she likely didn’t even cause. While Aravae wanted answers too, she believed Ena when she insisted that, for whatever reason, she couldn’t recall what happened inside the Conclave. Obviously, something big went down for her to be the sole survivor. Aravae knew things were now going to get ugly, with the shemlen’s Divine presumed dead, along with the rest of those who were at the temple. Though she wasn’t particularly faithful to anything herself, she knew the drastic lengths others would go to for their religion. 

 

She knew she was blaming herself for something that she likely couldn’t have altered had she been there. Still, a part of her felt like she should have been there to help protect Ena no matter what, so that she could safely return to her clan. Even if the clan didn’t necessarily always want her, she knew Ena was fiercely loyal to them. She was all but an outcast to her people, save the Keeper, who was tolerant and accepting of everyone, it seemed. According to Ena, when she was born, her parents felt her cursed by Fen’harel when she opened her eyes and they were an abnormal golden, as though they were wolf eyes. Growing up, the other kids shunned her and the adults scorned her. When her parents were killed, leaving her grandmother as her only living blood relative, it only confirmed to the clan that Fen’harel had caught her scent. Still, she proved herself to be valuable at hunting and scouting. She never spoke a bad word about anyone in her clan, no matter how hurt she truly felt by them. When Deshanna mentioned the Conclave, Ena was the first to offer going, determined to be successful and change everyone’s minds about her.

 

_ Now here she is, suffering, all because the others shunned her from the beginning, _ Aravae thought disdainfully. She knew all the stories the Dalish had spread about Fen’harel and knew how terribly wrong most of it was. They saw him as a harbinger of death, something to curse someone’s life. She also knew she couldn’t speak up to change their opinions, especially once she learned how long she’d been in uthenera. These stories had been told for a very long time and it was the new Elvhen culture, as sad as it made her feel.

 

That brought her thoughts back to where she’d been trying to avoid. The Dread Wolf himself was alive and present in Haven, after Aravae had suspected him dead for a long time. She wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Everything just ended up with her feeling confused and conflicted. Once she was sure in her mind that Ena would be okay for a while without being monitored, she would sleep and slip into the Fade to have her questions answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and comments left! I really appreciate it and hope you continue to enjoy the story! I got this chapter up pretty fast - words always spew out of me on new projects. Unfortunately, life can get hectic and I will probably end up going to a weekly update. However, I am relocating in about a month and then am taking a month and a half off of work before going back, so I foresee lots and lots of writing time. So perhaps around then, I will have maybe biweekly updates. We'll have to wait and see what happens!
> 
> Again, thank you for reading! Let me know what you think! :)


	3. Chapter 3

__

**My baby Aravae, drawn by the wonderful and talented[hansaera](http://hansaera-art.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr! Go check out her artwork, seriously!! (The link for the original drawing is [here!](http://hansaera-art.tumblr.com/image/156093541106))**

 

* * *

 

 

_Aravae opened her eyes to a nostalgic landscape. She was standing atop a structure that overlooked a larger building out on a lake that rested in a valley. Around her, the mountains looked like rolling hills and she could have sworn she felt the wind brushing against her skin. She suddenly felt more at peace than she had in a very long time. As she glanced down, she saw that she was in her normal, comfortable wear: a green off shoulder tunic with three-quarter sleeves, a thick strapped tank top underneath it, and black trousers that were wrapped at the ankle by her foot wraps._

 

_“Aravae.”_

 

_She had known he was there. How could she not? She could feel the swirl of his magic, an aura she knew almost as well as her own. She turned to face the man she knew so well - or had once known so well. Though she was still startled by his appearance, not used to not seeing the long, flowing auburn locks, she could never forget his steely eyes. “Solas.”_

 

_Just by addressing each other, it felt as though a heavy tension fell between them. An endless amount of unspoken questions lingered from their tones. Aravae could moreso recognize Solas here in the Fade. While he still wore a mask to hide the majority of his thoughts, he was more relaxed. He fumbled with his hands, his eyes cast down at them, his brow twitching as he struggled to find words. Feeling the need to help him along to a beginning point, Aravae softly asked, “How are you here? Alive? I thought you dead when the Veil was thrown up.”_

 

_This seemed to clear his mind. He gave a small nod and looked back up at her. “I fell into uthenera. I succeeded in banishing the others and placed the Veil to keep them there forever. However, it took a great deal of energy that rendered me exhausted of nearly all my magic. I fell asleep and when I awoke…” He frowned deeply, placing his hands behind his back. “The world was not what I thought it would be.”_

 

_“When did you wake?”_

 

_“Nearly a year ago.” His look shifted to concern. “What of you?”_

 

_“What of me?” she echoed, seeking clarification._

 

_He leaned forward, as though he were going to step closer, but a quick flash in his eyes told Aravae he decided against it. He gestured to his own face, indicating he was talking about her scar. “What happened? How did you survive everything?”_

 

_“Ah, this?” Aravae reached a hand up to touch the small vertical scar on her cheek. “Well, I also went into uthenera. As I said, I thought you dead and after losing everything else that was important to me...I lost all hope. I honestly wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.” She turned her back to him and leaned against the stone rail, trying to find comfort in the soothing landscape. “But I did. I woke several years ago. I did my best to learn quickly about the world. I learned about Templars the hard way. I was still weak at that point, learning my new limits thanks to the Veil. I was about to be killed by a group of them when Clan Lavellan saved me.”_

 

_“And you assimilated with them?” His brows raised in surprise._

 

_“I wouldn’t go that far,” she replied hastily. “They saved me, took me in to heal me. While there, I met Ena’fen. She helped to answer my questions so that I could learn what the Dalish take as their cultures these days. I felt indebted to them, so I stayed with them as long as they would have me until I could figure out a way to repay them. I ended up staying longer than intended. The others wanted me gone, since I was an extra mage, but the Keeper vouched for me, saying I was more in control of my magic than any she’d seen before. When she offered me a place after the death of their Second, I...didn’t know what else to say but yes. I suppose I put in the small hope that I could find some semblance of a family with them.” She gave off a weak laugh. “I’m lonely. What can I say?”_

 

_“No, I didn’t mean-”_

 

_“It’s fine, really. It is...hard for me to look at them and even think them in the same realm as the Elvhen. They appear to be nothing more than children with no real understanding of where they came from. Still…” She tilted her head towards him as he slowly walked up beside her, also leaning over the railing. “There’s something about Ena. Her eagerness to learn with an open mind has surprised me, where her kin have not. She’s become something of a little sister to me. That’s why I came to this place with her.”_

 

_“I am sorry.”_

 

_Aravae raised an eyebrow. “So you are involved in this, after all. What happened?” Once she saw the clench of his jaw and the movement of his adam’s apple as he swallowed, she added, “Don’t lie to me. You can tell me.”_

 

_Solas nodded, taking a deep breath. As he explained how he was too weak to access the power in his foci after such a long sleep, so he passed it along to a dark magister who sought godhood, Aravae listened intently, trying to reserve any judgement until he was finished. He told her how he still had loyal and active agents out in the world and how he planned to rip the Veil back down to restore the world to how it was when the elves ruled. He would deal with the pantheon, since they would undoubtedly be released when that happened. That made her tense. That didn’t sound entirely like Solas. The Solas she knew avoided any bloodshed when necessary, always looking for an alternative. He finished with concluding that in destroying the Veil, it may also kill most of the population that lived now and let a thick silence fall._

 

_“...You don’t approve,” he commented at last when she said nothing._

 

_She hesitated before answering. “I’ve learned many things since waking. I know about Tevinter and how they enslave our people there. I know that elves are shunned and are treated like garbage on Thedas. It infuriates me, it really does. However, how were our people any better?” She reached a hand up to ghost across her face. “I used to have vallaslin. We enslaved our own people. After you freed me, I did everything in my power to help others that felt as trapped as I did. While I would want nothing more than the Elvhen to return and magic to flow as it once did...perhaps it’s better that it doesn’t. Perhaps all of this happened for a reason and it is time for the shemlens to have a chance at the world.”_

 

_Solas seemed stunned. “So you would leave our people to ruin?”_

 

_“I’m more than certain there are other ways we could help them other than killing nearly everyone.” She looked at him, appalled. “I know you want to seek a solution, but you were hasty. Clearly, you miscalculated and something went wrong.” Solas stood upright, his jaw set in a tight line, his eyes flashing with underlying anger. Aravae didn’t back down, standing as tall as she could. She knew Solas would never strike at her. “Why does Ena have that mark, Solas?”_

 

_His lip curled up in a sneer. “The orb was supposed to unlock and the resulting explosion kill the magister. She must have intervened when it was still in the process and it shifted some power into her. Though I can’t confirm it, I feel certain that the mark must have opened a rift into the Fade and pulled her through, allowing her to survive the explosion. When it was safe, it opened another one to let her back out.”_

 

_“Then, the magister…?”_

 

_“Dead, I presume, but the orb is not at the temple. I would feel its power, even if it were buried under the rubble.”_

 

_“Not only have you cursed Ena, but your orb is who knows where in someone’s hands that they could do serious damage with-”_

 

_“I know!” he snapped, his fists curled tightly. The landscape seemed to flicker out of existence for just a moment as Solas lost his control._

 

_Aravae reprimanded herself. She should know, more than anyone, how much Solas was taking himself into account. She was sure he was beating himself up more than anyone ever could. He was usually so careful, taking each possible outcome into consideration. She shifted to face him and paused before gently touching his fists with her own hands. She uncurled his fingers and held his hands. “It doesn’t happen too often, but it’s a large mistake, Solas. Still, I will do whatever I can to help you right this.”_

 

_He nodded, relaxing slightly. “Thank you, my friend.”_

 

_“I assume I’m correct in saying no one knows who you are?”_

 

_“Indeed. To them, I am just Solas the hedge mage, Fade expert, apostate.”_

 

_“Well…” She dared to crack a smirk. “It’ll be interesting to get to know you all over again.”_

 

_His lips twitched upward into the smallest of smiles. “I agree. Thank you, Aravae. I don’t know what I ever did to earn your friendship.”_

 

_“You did plenty,” she insisted._

 

_He shook his head. “You should go now. Check on Ena. Come get me if you need me.”_

 

_Before she could respond, she could feel him casting her out of his section of the Fade, forcing her to slip back into the waking world._

 

* * *

 

Her forest green eyes slid open, instantly glancing at Ena. She was still breathing and was still motionless. She didn’t look like she had moved an inch. Aravae groaned lightly as she stood up out of the chair and stretched, cursing herself for falling asleep in such a position that would give her a pain in her neck. She was startled to glance at the fire and see that it was only a smoldering pile of ashes. She rebuilt it quickly and pondered as to what time it was. She felt she nearly slept the entire night. That was something she hadn’t done in quite some time.

 

She resumed her vigil from a standing position, not eager to be sitting down again. As she observed, she noted some good changes. Her breathing seemed to have evened out, she wasn’t drenched in sweat, and a more normal color returned to her skin. The dark freckles splashed across Ena’s cheeks and nose were much more defined when her skin wasn’t flaming red. Though she remained mostly still as a statue, Aravae noticed some movement behind her eyelids now. Occasionally, a finger would twitch. She didn’t seem to be in distress, which was what Aravae was most concerned about.

 

It was some time later before a small knock on the door broke the silence. Aravae went over to open it and wasn’t entirely surprised to see Solas on the other side. However, his back was now turned to her as he conversed with Adan, who was making his way their direction. Noticing the door had been opened, Solas turned with a polite smile. “How is she?”

 

“I think she’s doing better.” Aravae stepped out of the way to allow Solas and Adan through. She remained back, as before, to allow the healers the room they needed to work.

 

“Pulse...more normal. Breathing...better. Color...normal. Eyes...still slightly dilated,” Adan muttered as he checked over Ena. “Temperature...better. Perhaps we should try to see if she’ll wake to eat or drink.”

 

“I agree.”

 

The two tried a couple of different methods to get Ena to rouse from her deep sleep, but her eyes remained closed. Adan grunted with displeasure. “Well, I have an elfroot extract back in my cabin I can grab… I can mix it up and we can try to drop feed it to her. She needs something in her stomach and the elfroot should help her heal a bit quicker.”

 

“A sound idea. That’s probably our best option right now.”

 

“Very well. I’ll go fetch it, then.”

 

As Adan left, Solas cast one more glance at Ena before putting his attention on Aravae. “You didn’t eat last night. Would you like me to grab you some breakfast? It isn’t the best, but it’s something.”

 

Now that he mentioned it, Aravae’s stomach _was_ tightening with some discomfort at being empty. “Ah, yes, ma serannas.”

 

He nodded and left the room, though he left the door cracked. Aravae didn’t make a move to close it. Rather, she tiptoed closer to it and glanced out into the hall of the chantry. There was a surprising amount of activity. Many people were coming and going, sisters were conversing quietly, and a young woman with deeply tanned skin, full lips, dark hair pulled back into a bun, and a board with papers on it that she was furiously writing on was speaking to several people at once. Something odd was that Aravae didn’t see a guard outside the door. That Cassandra woman didn’t seem like she’d place someone at a post that would just leave. Perhaps he was off getting some food, as well. With a small shrug, Aravae closed the door.

 

It wasn’t long before Adan returned carrying a tray with his elfroot extract he had mentioned. He seemed confused to not see Solas, but shrugged it off. He gestured with his head as he approached Ena. “Come and watch so you can see how to do this since I imagine you aren’t leaving anytime soon. Make yourself useful.”

 

Though she felt like making a comeback, Aravae bit her tongue and walked up to his side. He was beginning to demonstrate how to feed her the extract when she felt a flare up of magic, followed by a loud cry, right outside the door. Adan jumped and spun around, Aravae reaching for her dagger. When no one came through, she cautiously made her way to the entrance to the room. She could hear a cold voice from the other side, speaking dangerously low. “Where is the guard at?”

 

Aravae opened the door, dagger ready, and was a little confused at what she was seeing. There was a shemlen man entirely encased in ice, save for his head. Trapped mid-movement, she spotted a knife in his hand and judging by how close he was, he was fully planning on entering the room to cause harm. While she felt her own rage bubbling up inside, she spotted Solas behind him, hands full with bowls of porridge, glaring at the back of the man’s head.

 

“What is this?” Leliana demanded quickly as she approached, taking long strides.

 

Solas’s voice was chilled and steady. “I apologize for startling you, spymaster. Whatever guard the Seeker placed here is no longer here and this man had every intention on going in there and assassinating your prisoner.”

 

“I have _no_ intention of calling some knife-ear a herald! She is _no_ herald of Andraste!” the man spat venomously.

 

“Save it. Solas, would you be so kind as to unfreeze him?” Leliana stepped forward and immediately subdued the man as Solas released his spell. As she began to lead him away, a flustered man in armor came running up, a bowl in hand.

 

“W-what happened?” he stuttered, looking nervously towards Leliana. “I-I only wanted to-to grab a bite-”

 

“You will _not_ leave your post again, Norman. Is that clear?”

 

The guard straightened in an instant. “Ma’am!!”

 

Solas ushered Aravae back inside while casting a glare in Norman’s direction. Aravae pondered for a split second how Leliana could have possibly known the man’s name apart from all the other ones they had in their little army. She sheathed her dagger and gave Solas a grateful expression. “Ma serannas. I should have figured someone might try something like that.”

 

He gave her a tight lipped smile in return, setting the bowls down on a small table near the fire. “You’re quite welcome. We must look out for each other, no?”  


“Stupid idiots trying to come in and kill my patient…,” Adan muttered with a shake of his head. “Come on. Let’s get back to this.”

 

Once they managed to feed her a little, they stood back and observed, waiting to see if she’d manage to keep it down or if she’d vomit it back up. Adan had brought a spare bucket, just in case. It seemed that Ena swallowed it, though her face grimaced as though it had a horrid flavor. Her hands then tightened into fists as she began to jerk a little on the bed. Her lips moved, but no sound protruded. Aravae could feel Solas stiffen beside her. Adan hummed thoughtfully as Ena continued to move. When the jerking turned more violent, to the point of her clawing at her own throat, Solas moved to pin her arms down.

 

“Is that normal?” Aravae demanded, a little panic eking into her tone.

 

“Not uncommon,” Adan offered neutrally. “It should pass soon enough.”

 

Aravae saw the way that Solas tilted his head down like he was listening. Ena’s lips were still moving. Gradually, her movements lessened until Solas hesitantly released her. It was as if nothing had happened. Ena was still once more, eyes still closed, breathing deeply. Adan inquired first, “Did she say something?”

 

“Just...that there were too many eyes.”

 

“That’s… Hmm… Okay.” Adan shook his head and scribbled more notes down. Once he finished, he looked back to Aravae. “I need to go tend to others now. Give her that extract every two hours. She may thrash like that again, so be prepared. Have some help in here if you’ll need it. If she starts vomiting or her symptoms start to decline again, have someone find me.” Only when she nodded did he seem content enough to slip out of the room, though not before checking the surroundings to make sure no one with a knife was about to pop out.

 

Aravae sighed, then scowled. She was doing entirely too much of that these past few days. Still, this waiting made her anxious and not knowing if Ena was going to fully recover made her feel entirely too helpless. She went to address Solas, but he caught her gaze and shook his head, eyes looking towards the door. She understood. Though they were alone in the room, there were still people right outside who could possibly hear. Knowing that Templars were in their ranks, they couldn’t freely cast a barrier without it raising questions.

 

 _So we really do have to start from the beginning, huh?_ She thought with mild amusement.

 

Solas held one of the bowls up to her. “Hungry?”

 

“Hmm? Yes, I’d already forgotten. Ma serannas.” She accepted it. She eyed the porridge questionably, but went ahead and took a few bites. It was bland, but it was food, so it would suffice.

 

They ate in silence, Aravae feeling better once she was done. Solas offered to collect her bowl to return it, then promised her he would be back later to check in.

 

She felt an instant loneliness once he was gone, but thought of other things to occupy herself, along with meditating. When the time would come, she would feed Ena a little more, then go ahead and restrain her. Her fits didn’t last long, but they were enough to worry Aravae. She caught a few mumblings from the woman in her sleep, not able to make out much. She could have sworn she heard _the grey_ , but she couldn’t be sure. It was the perfect recipe for a long day.

 

Both Adan and Solas appeared a couple of times throughout the day to make sure everything was okay. Cassandra accompanied Adan on one of his visits for a full update. When they departed, Aravae heard Adan complaining to her about not being a real healer. That made her frown with worry and keep a closer eye on Ena. Even the commander came by once to officially apologize that the guard had left his post and assured Aravae that he would be punished. While it made no difference to Aravae, since she doubted that she could truly be stopped by the majority of the Haven residents, she appreciated his gesture.

 

Once she ran out of the extract at the end of the day, she hesitantly popped her head outside to ask the guard to have someone find Adan so that she could be given more. She didn’t have to wait long before the elf woman from yesterday came by to pass along Adan’s message that if they gave her more today, they ran the risk of it having a negative effect, but they would begin administering more again tomorrow. Aravae thanked her as she departed.

 

When she dozed off that night, she did not go into the Fade. Rather, she had vivid dreams, none giving her an opportunity to truly rest. She saw battles, bloodshed, lost ones, fires blazing, Templar armor, arrows flying, a gentle blue glow of magic-

 

“-me go! Get your hands off me!!”

 

The bellows echoing in the empty chantry hall abruptly pulled Aravae from her restless sleep. She found herself reaching for her dagger once again as she made her way silently across the room and cracking the door open. She saw the guard blocking the door with his body, spear held tightly. He glanced over his shoulder and she noted it wasn’t the same man from earlier. Still, he gave her a friendly smile and assured her, “It’s okay. We caught him just as he was making his way inside. You can go back to sleep.”

 

Aravae still peered around him to see two more soldiers forcing a flailing man down towards what she assumed was the cells. Once she confirmed it with her own eyes, she nodded in thanks and slipped back inside. She didn’t try sleeping any more that night.

 

When a knock came in the morning and Aravae felt exhausted, it was Adan with a few other people. After examining Ena, he gave her more of the extract. However, this time, she didn’t thrash, but only stirred a little. He had a ghost of a smirk on his lips as he declared her stable and likely to wake later in the day. However, he needed to move her so that he could have a severely injured soldier be brought in. Aravae helped them load her onto a stretcher that they used to then carry her through the village. Though her eyes hurt a little after not being exposed to the harsh sunlight beating off the snow for several days, she kept a sharp lookout, eyeing anyone that dared to wander too close. The looks that were upon the people’s faces didn’t look like ones of contempt, but rather, desperate hope. It made Aravae almost more uneasy than someone trying to assassinate Ena.

 

They set her up in one of the cabins not too far away from the gates that led out of Haven. A fire was already roaring inside, ensuring that it was warm and well-lit. Once Ena was settled and tucked into the bed, Adan gave Aravae just a few more doses of the elfroot extract. He emphasized again that he was confident she would wake before the day’s end, but just in case, the elfroot shouldn’t hurt.

 

Recalling that Adan made a comment about not being a healer went to the forefront of her mind as she nodded hesitantly.

 

At least the cabin had windows she could open. When she peeked out one on the front side of the cabin, she quickly closed it again. There was a large crowd gathered outside, looking towards the hut. Two guards were posted not far from the front door. Aravae’s initial thought was the masses were going to break through the guards and try to finish Ena off. After all, she was only a knife-ear and not yet proven to have not caused the explosion that killed all those people, including the Divine. From what she had seen, nearly every person in Haven was a shemlen. Varric was the only durgen’len she’d seen. When she thought about the looks on their faces, her mind took a different route.

 

What had that man yesterday said? That Ena was a herald? Not only that, but of Andraste? If she recalled correctly, Andraste was the center of a large portion of the population’s religion. It was certainly no deity of the elves. Her nostrils flared a little. Who were _they_ to shove _their_ religion on someone else? She shook her head and set about slowly pacing around the cabin, not used to being confined to small areas for extended periods of time.

 

She gave Ena only two more doses of the extract. She didn’t react at all after the second one, seeming more at peace and in a normal sleep than she had in days. Aravae took it as a good sign and left it alone. Once she got tired of pacing about the small cabin, she settled back down in the chair in front of the fire, shutting her eyes and hoping to get a small nap.

 

A loud, clattering _thud_ is what pulled Aravae swiftly from the sleep she hadn’t even realized she’d fallen in, her hand going for her dagger. She found the source: the elf woman from before, Adan’s assistant. She seemed panicked and had dropped a crate. Before Aravae could register what was happening, the woman threw herself to her knees, bowing to Ena as the woman sat up sluggishly in bed. “I beg your forgiveness and your blessing. I am but a humble servant.”

 

Bewilderment was the only way to describe Ena’s face as she slowly looked from the woman to Aravae. Looking back at the woman on the floor, she croaked, “Where am I?”

 

“You are back in Haven, my lady,” she replied quickly, voice shaking. “They say you saved us. The Breach stopped growing, just like the mark on your hand! It’s all anyone has talked about for the last three days.”

 

Ena’s eyes widened slightly at that bit of information. “I’ve been sleeping for three days?”

 

The woman raised herself up to her feet, backing up slowly. “I’m certain Lady Cassandra would want to know you’ve wakened. She said ‘at once’.”

 

“Where is she?” Aravae inquired for Ena once the Dalish woman tried to speak again, but started coughing dryly instead.

 

“In the chantry, with the lord chancellor. ‘At once’, she said,” she mumbled, all but fleeing from the cabin.

 

Aravae poured a small cup of water for Ena. The redhead nodded appreciatively, not wanting to move further than sitting up yet. She took slow sips, clearing her throat. Once she decided her throat was moistened enough, she asked, “Have I really been sleeping for three days?”

 

“Indeed you have. You gave me quite a fright,” Aravae said scoldingly. “It was a little touch and go there for a while. Solas and Adan worked hard to get you through...whatever it was.”

 

Ena hummed. “I’ll need to thank them.”

 

“There will be time for that later. How do you feel now? If you’re still ill, I can send for one of them.”

 

Ena giggled softly. “I think I’m okay, mamae. My hand doesn’t hurt so much as feels...warm? I suppose that’s it. I feel a bit tired and my throat is sore, but I guess that’s what happens after three days of sleep.”

 

“Are you hungry?”  


“Not just yet. I think once I’m up and about, I will be. I’ve only been conscious five minutes.”

 

Aravae raised an eyebrow with a small smirk. “Excuse me for being worried.”

 

Ena reached up and held one of Aravae’s hands. “If not you, then who would? Thank you, lethallan.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

With a small groan and a little assistance, Ena stood upright. She wobbled for a moment, but quickly found her balance. “I suppose I’d better go see Cassandra. I’ve no doubt this won’t be good.”

 

“Would you like me to go with you?”

 

Ena grinned. “Do I have a choice?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“Well, by all means…” Ena gestured towards the door and took a few experimental steps. With a small, ‘oh!’, she realized her knives weren’t attached to her waist. Aravae offered them up, having removed them so she could lay more comfortably. Ena nodded decisively once they were back where they belonged.

 

As Ena set her hand upon the knob, Aravae placed her own hand against the door itself, keeping it shut for another moment. When the Dalish gave her a puzzled look, Aravae muttered, “Fair warning… These shemlems are...behaving strangely. I think they think you are some sort of harbinger.”

 

“Harbinger?” she echoed curiously.

 

“For their goddess or whatever Andraste is.”

 

Ena’s lips twisted up in thought, but still nodded silently, telling Aravae she was still ready to face whatever was outside. As the cold wind rushed inside, chilling both of them, Aravae had to admit that what she saw was not quite what she expected. The crowd had grown even larger, though they were parted on either side of the path. Some had their hands formed in a fist over their hearts, some had their heads bowed, but whispers scattered throughout all of them. Ena froze for a moment, not having expected quite what she was seeing. After collecting herself, she walked forward, keeping her gaze forward and not looking at anyone in the crowd. Aravae remained right at her side, still scanning the bodies for a possible threat.

 

“That’s her,” someone whispered. “That’s the Herald of Andraste.”

 

Just hearing that sent a shiver up their spines.

 

Thankfully, the crowd stopped right before the stairs, though those that were still carrying on with their daily lives within the village stared as they walked by. It felt like the entire world itself had hushed and stopped around them. Ena and Aravae were all too happy to close the chantry doors behind them, cutting off visual from the villagers. The sisters inside the chantry hall still whispered and glanced at them, but at least tried to be more subtle about it. From down at the end of the hall, they could hear muffled shouts of a man and a woman.

 

“That’s probably her,” Ena murmured, walking forward again.

 

When they came to the door that led to the heated argument, they hovered, listening. Ena gave Aravae a slightly panicked look and mouthed, “What do we do?”

 

Aravae shrugged, gesturing for Ena to enter. The redhead glared at her, then all but jumped when Aravae knocked on the door abruptly. Having no choice now, Ena pushed it open and entered, Aravae on her heels. The elvhen woman wasn’t surprised to see that the one Cassandra was arguing with was the Roderick man again, Leliana standing at her side. She couldn’t stop the glower that seemed to naturally form on her face when she looked at him. Still, she remained silent at Ena’s side as the guards were dismissed from the room. She was pleased to hear that it sounded like Cassandra and Leliana had come to an agreement that Ena was no longer suspected of causing the explosion at the temple. However, the feeling of elation was dampened when Cassandra voiced her opinion that Ena’s presence was providence of their Maker. Though Ena insisted she was no chosen one, Cassandra still insisted that her arrival with the mark on her hand was more than coincidence. Roderick began speaking once more before Cassandra silenced him by slamming a large book down on the table before them, throwing out the word, ‘Inquisition’. Roderick snarled and stormed from the room, Cassandra seeming both relieved and worried, as though she had done something wrong.

 

“So what you’re saying is...you need my help, because of this mark being able to close the rifts?” Ena glanced down at her hand, flexing it.

 

“You are the only one who can close them,” Leliana confirmed.

 

It was silent while Ena contemplated. She turned to Aravae with worry shining in her eyes. “The rifts threaten everyone, including probably the clan. But I cannot ask you to stay with me.”

 

Aravae frowned. “You don’t have to even ask. I will stay. I promised to help you, didn’t I?”

 

“Yes, but this has gotten...a bit more complicated now.”

 

“Perhaps. Still, I keep my word, and you are my dear friend.” Aravae smiled gently and clasped Ena’s shoulder. “I will stand with you, whatever you decide. Since I know you can’t leave people in trouble...”

 

Ena barked a short laugh. “I’m that predictable, huh?” Looking back to Cassandra and Leliana, she declared, “Very well. I’ll help.”

 

Cassandra and Leliana both smiled with relief, the warrior offering a hand for Ena to shake. “Let’s fix this together before it’s too late.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

“Well,” Leliana said after a deep inhale, “let’s go inform the others, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! This will probably be my update for the week and I will hopefully return next week. The chapter is all but ready to go, I just need to do a little editing. It's more so a question on if I remember amidst the chaos that is life currently. Thank you all for the kudos! It makes me happy to know that no matter how small a number of people will be reading this, that at least you guys are enjoying it! I will endeavor to continue for you! I'll see you all next week!
> 
> Any questions or just want to chat? Drop by my Tumblr, I don't bite! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/solverne


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is talk of rape in this chapter, though not in detail.

With news of the fledgling Inquisition spreading, Haven became a whirlwind of activity. Ena was familiarizing herself with the village, its people, and what those people had to offer. Aravae went along with her so she could grow more comfortable with finding her own way around, but she would venture off on her own occasionally. Commander Cullen was constantly working with the troops, both veteran and recruits, barking orders to get them into shape. Cassandra was rarely far away. She enjoyed going by Harritt’s forge and watching him and his people work. She rather liked watching the creation of the weapons, though she really did abhor fighting herself. Leliana, she rarely saw much of, but when she did, the woman was always accompanied with several of her scouts giving her reports. The ambassador, Josephine, was quite welcoming and the very image of what Aravae figured a diplomat should be.

 

“You are Lady Aravae, correct?” she called one day as Aravae passed her by.

 

Floored by the title, Aravae did a double take before halting in her tracks. “...I’m sorry?”

 

“Lady Aravae? The mage who came along with the Lady Herald?”

 

“I… Yes?”

 

The woman beamed. “Ah, wonderful. I’ve been wanting to introduce myself to you properly. I am Josephine Montilyet, the Inquisition’s ambassador.” When she gave a small curtsy, Aravae awkwardly bobbed her head in return. “I am glad to meet you and I wanted to thank you for agreeing to stay and help us. We will need all we can get.”

 

“No, it’s nothing to thank me for,” Aravae insisted. “Demons appearing whenever and wherever is kind of a large deal for everyone.”

 

“That it is. Also…” Josephine leaned in, glancing about their surroundings. “Please inform me immediately if you hear any derogatory things towards yourself, the Lady Herald, or Master Solas. I will not stand for it.”

 

Aravae couldn’t stop the small laugh that bubbled up. “I appreciate it, Ambassador. I will inform you, I promise.”

 

She sighed with relief. “Thank you so much, Lady Aravae. Well, please excuse me, I must be on my way.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Aravae decided quickly that she liked Josephine. While she had received a number of looks, she had heard no vocal slurs or anything of the nature directed at her. She figured most were probably too scared to say or do anything to Ena now, worried she’d bring the wrath of Heaven down upon them. By default, they wouldn’t do anything to Aravae either. Solas, she wasn’t sure about. He seemed incredibly polite and almost diplomatic in his own way, doing his best not to ruffle any feathers. She hadn’t had much of an opportunity to speak with him any further, for any time she spotted him, he appeared to be helping with those that were still injured from the battles with the demons. Varric seemed to be everywhere, telling loud, rambunctious stories, usually in the tavern, where Ena liked to drag her to go eat and socialize.

 

This particular evening, when they arrived, was the first time Aravae felt like she had a moment to breathe. She offered any assistance she could, pleased to go out and help hunt or gather herbs. More often than not, she actually found herself among Cullen and Cassandra. They wanted her help training the soldiers to fight against mages and she, likewise, wanted to practice close combat and against Templars. However, Cullen was adamant in not allowing any of those present with Templars abilities put them to use. Aravae could understand why, but it still didn’t help her get familiar with them.

 

She grabbed their seat as Ena got a couple of mugs for them. Once they sat down to relax, Varric all but pranced up to them. “I’ve got it!” he announced dramatically. He pointed first to Aravae, “Ivy,” and then to Ena, “and Zinnia.”

 

Both women blinked in confusion. “...What?” Ena finally managed to say.

 

“Ah, it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Mind if I sit?” Varric inquired as he sat down beside Ena anyways, grinning broadly. Clearly, he seemed proud of himself.

 

“No, it’s fine. How have you been, Varric?” Ena asked kindly.

 

“Eh, one can’t complain too much. At least the Seeker isn’t breathing down my neck constantly anymore. Not right now, anyways.”

 

“What did you do to incur her wrath?” Aravae pondered after sipping her drink. She frowned lightly at it, not caring for its taste.

 

“Oh, it’s a long story. Then again, it doesn’t take much to make her mad.”

 

“I’ve noticed.”

 

“Well, well,” Varric drawled with a laugh, looking towards the door as it opened. “As I live and breathe. Chuckles!”

 

Ena gave Varric a flabbergasted look. “Did you just call Solas, ‘ _ Chuckles _ ’?”

 

“Yep!” The dwarf raised his mug, catching Solas’s attention. “C’mon, Chuckles! Sit with us!”

 

As he made his way over, raising an eyebrow at Varric, he commented, “That’s what you’ve decided on, Master Tethras?”

 

“C’mon, you’re clearly a happy, bubbly guy. It’s perfect.”

 

Seeing the spot beside Aravae as the only one open, Solas slid down onto it. “It’s nice to see whatever qualities I lack, you’ll invent for me.”

 

“That’s what I’m here for. Here, let me get you a drink, too! Are we all eating?”

 

While Aravae and Ena nodded, Solas tried to protest having a drink, but Varric leapt up and sauntered off to the bar. He gave a small sigh of defeat. Ena smirked with sympathy. “He’s pretty wired, isn’t he?”

 

“That is...one way of putting it.” Solas’s gaze fell to Ena’s hand as it rested atop the table. “How are you feeling, Herald? Is the mark causing any pain?”

 

As if suddenly realizing it was laying out in the open for all to see, Ena quickly moved her hand to rest in her lap. “It’s been alright. Nothing too bad. Although, Solas, you don’t...have to call me ‘Herald’.”

 

He propped his elbows on the table, linking his fingers together. “Honestly, I do not care for the title myself. Be that as it may, appearances must be kept, especially in such a public location.”

 

Ena huffed a little. “I suppose you’re right.”

 

Varric returned, plopping Solas’s drink down before him and informing them that their food was on the way. As he reclaimed his seat, he held up his own mug. He tilted his head in thought, then nodded decisively. “To saving the world.”

 

Ena tapped her mug against his. “Trying, at least.”

 

“That’s all we can ask for.”

 

Aravae and Solas shared a nonchalant glance, then amused Varric by raising their own mugs and taking a small swig. Varric laughed at the three elves in his company. “Do elves not have a decent drink selection?”

 

Aravae scrunched her face up. “This tastes like halla piss,” she stated bluntly.

 

Ena’s eyes widened. “Aravae!”

 

“What?”

 

Varric grinned and shrugged. “Honestly, I have to agree with you. Not the best I’ve had, that’s for sure.” He took another sip and eyed Aravae. “Well, Ivy, you feel up to sharing any good stories?”

 

It took her a moment to remember he was talking to her. “Are you going to tell me why you’re calling me that?”

 

“It’s not an insult, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. “An answer for an answer?”

 

“That depends on your question, durgen’len.”

 

“How’d ya meet Zinnia and her clan? That sounds like it should have some juicy details.”

 

Aravae tapped the edge of her mug with consideration. She could tell the vague details of it without giving too much of her background away. “Very well. You first.”

 

“Flowers and plants have their own language. That simple.” Varric’s smile radiated innocence.

 

Aravae stared blankly at him for a moment. She couldn’t help but scoff. He definitely had a slippery way with words. “I’ll take it...for now.” She locked eyes with Ena, deciding where to begin. “Our first meeting wasn’t very elegant, was it? Let’s see… Well, for a long time, I’ve been...shall we say, disconnected from the going-ons of the world. I’ve traveled on my own for a while. Once I finally started heading back towards civilization, I came across a small group of Templars. They were quick to threaten me. I tried to fight back against them, but they...what do you call it?”

 

“Smote?” Solas offered.

 

“Yes, I believe that’s it. I’d never experienced one before. I was stunned, needless to say. Though I am usually reliant on my magic, I have been trained in some basic close combat. However, I only have a knife and I was very weak after that. I would like to say I was holding them off, but really, they were toying with me.” She reached a hand up to brush her bangs out of the way and reveal her scar on her cheek. “They disarmed me and left me with this, along with several others. Just as they were about to...continue, Ena and a few other scouts from the clan came across us. They had the element of surprise and killed four of them almost immediately. The last one started rushing towards me, but Ena jumped in and helped me.” With an embarrassed chuckle, she added, “I blacked out after that.”

 

“We took her back to the Keeper and she agreed to help heal her. It took several days. I don’t envy you mages with Templar smiting being a threat.” Ena made a displeased expression. “It doesn’t seem pleasant. It took you some time to regain your strength.”

 

Once silence fell, indicating Aravae wasn’t continuing any further, Varric leaned forward. “Aww, that’s it? No more?”

 

Aravae gave him a teasing smirk. “I think I’ve divulged enough of my mysterious persona for tonight.”

 

“Well, for what it’s worth, Curly keeps the Templars - excuse me,  _ former _ Templars - on a pretty strict leash. I’d like to say you’re safe here, but...there’s always rule breakers.”

 

“That sounds like personal experience,” Ena commented.

 

Varric nodded regally. “Well, as a master rule bender and breaker, I offer wisdom where I can. What about you, Chuckles? Any good stories for us?”

 

As the attention shifted to Solas, Aravae was a little taken aback. He was gripping his mug tightly with one hand and the other was clenched tightly in his lap. His jaw was set like he was gritting his teeth, but his eyes revealed nothing. He blinked and seemed to refocus on Varric. “I’m sorry?”

 

“You still with us? How about a story?”

 

Solas considered his request, but while he did, Flissa came up carrying a tray with their meals atop it. Varric said that he would let Solas slide for tonight as they proceeded to eat. Once they finished, the elves forcing down the last of their drink, they bid each other a good night. Ena had been given a room inside the chantry. Though it made her a little uncomfortable being inside the largest building and in a room with no windows, she couldn’t bring herself to protest it. Still, she knew if she wanted to, she could go and stay with Aravae, who had been set up in the cabin that Ena had woken in. While she also was not used to being inside of a building after living the last couple years of her life strictly outdoors, she couldn’t deny that the bed was comfortable and the fire was welcome to keep her warm. The more she talked and became more familiar with Varric and Solas, - such as it was - she offered for them to at least bring their bedrolls and stay inside with her. Both declined due to some chivalry rule that caused Aravae to roll her eyes.

 

When she entered into the dark cabin, she lit a few candles and built a fire, shivering lightly until it grew warmer inside. She sat down on the bed after undressing her outer layer of clothing. The soreness in her limbs from sparring was really starting to settle in and she was all too happy to bury herself under the blankets and relax for the night.

 

* * *

 

_ She could hear the chirping of birds from up in the tree limbs around her, the sun beaming through the canopy and gracing the ground. The forest expanded around her, full of life and bringing her comfort. Aravae started walking, having no destination in mind, content with wandering. _

 

_ The further she walked, the less sunlight made it to the forest floor. The sounds around her began dying away. It made her feel a little unsettled, so she turned around to head back the way she came, but behind her looked identical to her forward path. Rather, it looked even darker. She spun around in a circle, looked for a ray of sunshine to follow. A dark shadow swept through the area, dampening any remaining sunbeams. It grew eerily quiet. _

 

_ She heard soft footsteps making their way towards her. She twisted around, her staff suddenly in her hands, electricity sparking around her. She could see the outline of someone making their way towards her. They didn’t have to come any closer for her to know who it was. _

 

_ “You come after me, night after night. My answer is always  _ **_no_ ** _! Why can’t you leave me alone?! Ma emma harel!” she screamed at the figure, swinging her staff and firing a lightning bolt at them. It collided, but passed harmlessly through the shadow. She gave a strangled cry and continued firing bolt after bolt. The shadow walked closer to her, unfazed by all her efforts. _

 

_ A rumble sounded throughout the forest and the figure stopped in its tracks. Aravae could see it looking around in what she could guess was confusion. Her brows furled in her own puzzlement. She dared to break her line of sight on the figure to glance around herself. The forest remained dark, but she could now hear the distinct sound of a low growl coming from behind her.  _

 

_ She peered over her shoulder and could see the six glowing red eyes of a large, black wolf. His head was lowered, threatening the shadow with bared teeth. His shoulders reached Aravae’s torso. Any unease in her melted away, knowing that he would help her. She could handle it on her own; She usually did. However, doing it over and over night after night wore down on her. She wasn’t about to deny any assistance. _

 

_ The grand wolf stepped in front of her, hackles raised, and howled before charging forward towards the shadow. He jumped and sunk his teeth into its neck before it could even attempt at fleeing. The moment the wolf’s paws touched back down on the ground, the sunlight and forest life returned, the darkness retreating. Aravae sighed and let her stance relax, her staff vanishing. “Thank you, Solas.” _

 

_ The Dread Wolf turned to her, his appearance melting from the canine to the man until he stood tall, back in his usual form. His hands were clasped behind his back as he took slow steps towards her again. “You are still haunted by this dream?” he asked softly. _

 

_ “I probably always will be. It’s not possible to just...get over what happened to me back then. I can’t just forget everyone I lost.” _

 

_ “...No. I suppose not.” He examined her quickly. “Are you alright?” _

 

_ “I should be asking you that.” Aravae tilted her head. “What was wrong at dinner?” _

 

_ The tension that overcame him was easy to spot. He cast his gaze down towards the ground as he considered his words. “I suppose I cannot get used to the norms of this world. Templars attacking mages without cause, assaulting them,  _ **_raping_ ** _ them… All of it is completely normal, yet things do not change.” He looked back up at her, his eyes cold. “You skirted around it. Is that what they were going to do?” _

 

_ Aravae shivered, recalling the crazed, sick, lustful looks on their faces as they approached her, their hands grazing her body. At that time, though her mind was racing, her body was exhausted and couldn’t fight back. She recalled the despairing, helpless feeling in the very core of her being, wishing she could cry out for help, but knowing no one would come. Realizing she hadn’t answered him, she whispered through the knot in her throat, “Yes.” _

 

_ In an instant, she felt the air around them chill considerably. Solas’s arms hung at his sides, fingers curled in tight. “Disgusting,” he spat. “I should have-” _

 

_ “Don’t,” Aravae interjected. “If you even think about saying some insane thing like ‘you should’ve been there’, you’ll only drive yourself crazy. It’s in the past, it didn’t happen. Ena and the other Lavellans saved me.” _

 

_ “If they weren’t there-” _

 

_ She shook her head and spoke with a soothing tone. “But they  _ **_were_ ** _. It’s okay.  _ **_I’m_ ** _ okay. You aren’t some divine being who can be everywhere all at once.” She grinned, hoping the light gesture of a poor joke would ease his mind.  _

 

_ He sighed and suddenly appeared worn out. His shoulders sagged ever so slightly, but a small smile graced his lips. “You are probably the only one who’s ever known me and not called me Fen’harel.” _

 

_ Aravae couldn’t deny the warm feeling in her chest, knowing she’d pulled forth a smile that was reserved just for her. “That’s because you’ve never been Fen’harel to me, nor will you ever be. You’re always just Solas, the man who saved me. You make mistakes, just like any other man. You are no god.” _

 

_ “It is reassuring to hear you say that, my friend. Thank you.” _

 

_ “What are friends for, if not for keeping each other grounded?” _

 

_ A small laugh shook Solas’s shoulders. “Indeed. Well, unless you had anything else you wanted to discuss, I can leave you to your dreams. I did not mean to intrude.” _

 

_ “No, it’s fine. I appreciate it, actually. It’s nice to have some backup every once in awhile. That damned desire demon won’t ever leave me alone, I’m sure of it.” After the pregnant silence hung in the air for a moment, Aravae could feel Solas’s sympathy without him needing to express any words. It made her uncomfortable. She didn’t like receiving sympathy, no matter who the person was. She started to walk once more, digging her bare toes in the mossy ground. “Well, we don’t have to speak, but you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. Just a stroll could be nice. After all, I’ve been awake a few years longer than you and thought you were dead all that time. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you’re here.” _

 

_ Solas fell in step with her at her side, briefly looking at her with a grin. “I apologize. It seems you’re stuck with me.” _

 

_ “Likewise, Solas.” _

 

_ The two walked onwards without speaking another word. To them, it felt like after all this time of being apart, they’d only been fighting side by side against the Evanuris as if it was yesterday. Though they didn’t wish to repeat the wars, they could agree that the cycle of battles, freeing slaves, and taking care of each other was much simpler than demons falling from the sky. _

 

* * *

 

Aravae woke just a little after sunrise when a knock came at her door. She rolled over, still groggy, looking towards the door with a light glare. As it opened without permission, she wasn’t surprised to see Ena slip inside, as awake and chipper as ever. Aravae grunted for her greeting.

 

“Never have liked mornings, I know, I know, but it’s time to get up.” Ena plopped down on the bed by Aravae’s feet. “We have a destination in mind.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“The Hinterlands. The council told me about a chantry woman that may be willing to help us out and there’s plenty of other things we can take care of while we’re out there.” Ena raised her fingers as she fought to recall everything. “Horses, the Templar and mage war is threatening civilians, there’s reports of rifts to close-”

 

Aravae sobered as she sat up, running a hand through her long, wavy locks. “Ena.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Are you sure you’re okay with this? Getting in the middle of all this?”

 

She waved her hand in the air. “Well, I already am, whether I want to be or not. Besides, it’d be better to have other forces behind us if we’re going to close these rifts. I feel like it wouldn’t end well if just you and I set out to try and handle it ourselves. I know you’re really good with your magic, but neither of us can fight off several waves of demons over and over again.”

 

“Okay, okay,” Aravae drawled, then added with a more serious tone, “I just wanted to make sure. Like I said, I’m with you no matter what.”

 

“Thank you. It really does mean a lot to me.” Ena leaned over and wrapped her arms around her sleepy friend. “Through thick and thin, bedhead or not.”

 

Aravae shoved Ena away, making an attempt to pat down her hair. “Ugh, go on. You and your short hair will never understand my struggle.”

 

“Then just cut it! I happen to have a couple of-”

 

“No.”

 

“Just offering.” Ena held her hands up in surrender. She stood up and started making her way towards the door. “Well, we only just decided on the Hinterlands this morning, so I’ll let Varric and Solas know so we can take the day to prepare. Cassandra said our armor Harritt was working on should be ready.”

 

“Oh, Varric and Solas are going, too?”

 

“Yes. Both have said they want to help. There’s no telling how long we’ll be out there, so make sure you’ve got everything you need.”

 

Aravae kicked the covers off and stood up to stretch. “Anything to get me out of this tiny village and under the stars.”

 

“I agree.” Ena grinned and slipped out. “I’ll be around!”

 

“Mmhmm.” 

 

Once Ena left, Arave lounged around for several more minutes before finally talking herself into getting up and getting fully dressed. Once she succeeded in that, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to tame the frizzy, wavy locks. Eventually, she gave up and tied it back in a loose braid, which helped make it slightly more presentable. She grabbed her staff and walked outside, inhaling the crisp morning air. She set off, passing through the open gates and walking around the frozen lake. She scaled one of the boulders near the small pier and laid her staff across her lap, closing her eyes to meditate for a short time. She hadn’t done it in several days...probably not since before the explosion at the Conclave. It was a good time for her to revel in the silence and reflect on what had happened and what was yet to come.

 

Eventually, the sounds of Haven came alive. Recruits went out to begin training under Cullen’s barking orders. Harritt’s forge lit up. The villagers shared some morning gossip on their way to start their morning chores. As the sound carried over to her, she opened her eyes to watch everyone. The sun began to peek around the mountains, shining down on the makeshift war camp and its people, bringing a little warmth with it. Aravae did not care for how cold it was in the Frostbacks. 

 

Once she decided she had spent enough time to herself, she stood and stretched before climbing back down the boulder. She made her way back around the lake, nodding to Cullen and Cassandra as she passed them by, working her way to Harritt’s forge. Once there, he briskly brought forth the armor he had made for her and encouraged her to try it on, so that if adjustments needed to be made, he could hopefully accomplish it by her departure tomorrow morning. She assured him she could go try it on immediately, though she frowned at the boots he handed her to go along with it. She had worn shoes several times in her life, but she much preferred to go barefoot, even if she did have to constantly keep a small warming spell on her feet while she was in the snow.

 

She hurried back to the cabin and, though she struggled several times figuring out the clothing, managed to try everything on. All in all, everything fit just about right. She kept her undershirt on underneath the long sleeved gray shirt she put on over it, the sleeves hugging her forearms so that she could slip her dark brown gloves on, the gloves extending to almost her elbow. The black pants were just a little loose on her, but was easily held up with her belt. They tucked into the knee high dark brown boots, which felt awkward, but not necessarily uncomfortable. They would take some getting used to. There were several buckles and smaller pieces of armor worked into the clothing itself to provide her with a little added protection. One thing she had to give Harritt was that they were so  _ warm _ and would provide her with good flexibility when fighting. She went off to go show him and approve of his work, to which he grunted nonchalantly, though she could spot the small grin on the shemlen’s face.

 

She decided to keep the armor on for the time being. Part of her didn’t want to fight getting out of the clothes, but the other part nagged in her mind that she needed to get used to carrying the bit of extra weight that she wasn’t accustomed to. She wandered about the village, not entirely sure what all she needed to take care of today. She had already been provided with a bedroll, a druffalo skin container for water, and a few other small bits and ends. She pondered on if they were going to just hunt for their food or if they were going to bring some provisions with them. They couldn’t carry too much or else it would weigh them down. They didn’t have a pack horse they could bring with them - any horses she had seen within the fledgling Inquisition seemed to either belong to Cullen or the scouts.

 

Aravae was making her way through Haven when she spotted Ena and Solas. Ena was sitting on a small stone wall, her back to Aravae, and Solas was standing in front of her. His body language was that of reservation. He stood tall and still, hands clasped behind his back, expression neutral. She stopped and observed them. Solas was talking, occasionally making small gestures with his hands. Ena appeared to be listening rather intently. When she shifted her weight, waving a hand in the air as she spoke, Aravae was a little stunned to see a change in Solas’s eyes as he absorbed whatever Ena was saying. 

 

“Oh, hey, Ivy.”

 

Aravae jumped slightly at the sound of Varric’s voice, turning to look at him. “Hi, Varric.”

 

The durgen’len glanced up at the sky with an unhappy grunt. “Ready to get out of here for a while?”

 

“Yes. Probably more than you think.”

 

“Hey, Harritt’s armor looks pretty good. Can’t deny that man knows what he’s doing. Zinnia’s is pretty great, too.”

 

Aravae looked down at her new armor. “Yeah, it’s not quite what I was expecting, but it’s practical. It’ll get the job done.” Noticing he was in his same clothing she’d always seen him in, she nodded her head towards him. “You aren’t getting any?”

 

“Nah, I’ve got my own already. Besides, he had his hands full just working on yours. Getting it done as fast as he did is really impressive. Well, you need any help getting things together?”

 

She looked back towards Ena and Solas before nodding. “You know what? Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! Thank you again so much for the kudos and the hits on the story! They bring me such joy. :') On a quick side note, with the nicknames Varric picked for the girls:
> 
> Aravae/Ivy: Fidelity (n) faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.
> 
> Ena/Zinnia: Thoughts of friends.
> 
> Also, "Ma emma harel" translates to "You should fear me", according to the Dragon Age Wiki.
> 
> I would like to apologize for not being too great at describing clothes. It has always been a major weak point for me, but I'm working on it. The armor I have for Aravae is essentially the Warden Battlemage Armor, minus the griffon. Other than that, I think that covers everything! Thank you again so much for reading! Please leave me a comment if you have a comment, question, or most importantly, feedback! If not, swoop by my Tumblr for a chat. See you all next week!


	5. Chapter 5

 

Aravae loved and hated the Hinterlands. She reveled in the fact that it was so large, so open, not heavily populated, and overflowing with wildlife. Not to mention, the temperature was much more agreeable with her. However, she despised the fact that it was seemingly the center for the mage-Templar war, covered in death, and  _ bears _ . If she never saw a bear again in her life, it would be too soon. She was growing all too used to hearing Cassandra’s disgusted groan from either spotting a bear or something Varric said. There was really no difference in her noise between the two.

 

They had had several encounters with the rebel mages and the rogue Templars, attempting the first several times to reason with them and offer them a place among the Inquisition. None wanted to hear it. All had gone mad with bloodlust and all had to be put down. Though Aravae, Solas, and Varric had given up hope long ago on converting anyone, Ena never gave up and since she didn’t, Cassandra continued trying with her. The three of the naysayers had to admire the duo’s perseverance, but they had yet to see any results.

 

When Ena had told Aravae they’d be gone for a while, she had meant it. It seemed that they never stopped moving. They helped secure the Crossroads to keep it safe for refugees and have it be a small central location for the Inquisition’s forces. From there, they helped out ensuring the refugees would survive, acquiring food, clothing, blankets, and whatnot for them. They then spread the Inquisition’s influence, finding several locations for small outposts while quelling any fights and rifts they came across. Though it always pained her to use the magic of the mark, Ena assured the others that it was becoming more tolerable each time. Whether that meant she was just growing accustomed to the pain or the mark was growing stronger, none could say. Nevertheless, Ena refused to show any weakness to them.

 

As they traveled, they had two tents, one for each gender. Though the women’s tent was more cramped, Aravae and Ena did not sleep in it unless they needed shelter from the elements. Cassandra felt awkward when she asked if it was because they did not want to be near her, which she would have understood. Ena laughed, successfully stunning the Seeker before she grew embarrassed, then upset. The Dalish woman assured her that it was only because they lived purely outdoors and wanted to be under the stars. Once that small misunderstanding had been cleared, Cassandra and Ena began to form a strange friendship.

 

When they finally made it to Horsemaster Dennet’s farm one evening, just before sunset, Aravae’s shoulders sagged with relief. They set up one more outpost with the help of some scouts they’d met up with and agreed to take a day or two to rest, since they’d been on the move almost nonstop for a couple of weeks. Cassandra and Ena went to speak with Dennet while the others remained back at camp, unwinding. 

 

Aravae all but kicked her boots off, digging her toes into the dirt with a small, happy sigh. Varric snorted from a short distance away as he examined Bianca (Aravae had given him quite the blank stare when she realized that the name she had heard all those weeks ago had been his  _ crossbow _ ) and polished her. “Easy now, Ivy. People might think you’re a savage, after all.”

 

Growing used to his lighthearted racial jabs, Aravae lifted a small twig and tossed it at him, shaking her head. “You just don’t understand, durgen’len.” He gasped in mock offense as he swatted the twig away.

 

Solas was not far behind Aravae, sliding out of his own boots and letting his bare feet touch the grass. “Just imagine, Master Tethras, if one day you were asked to walk completely barefoot after wearing shoes your entire life. It would feel completely unnatural and you would be begging to put shoes back on, no?”

 

Varric held up his index finger. “There’s just one huge difference there. Going barefoot would  _ destroy  _ my feet. You’re now wearing shoes, which help  _ protect _ your soles.”

 

Aravae gave a light shrug. “That’s what the wrappings are for. Not to mention, growing up barefooted allows your feet to just roughen up over time until you don’t even notice.”

 

Varric shook his head sadly. “I give up. I’m outnumbered.” He lifted Bianca and planted a small kiss to her side. “It’s just you and me.”

 

Aravae raised an eyebrow. “If you’re going to make out with your bow, I’m leaving.”

 

“She’s just jealous,” he murmured to his weapon.

 

With a small groan, Aravae shifted her gaze to Solas. “How are we supposed to deal with him until Cassandra gets back to control him?”

 

A small grin crept to Solas’s lips. “I let most of what he says go in one ear and out the other.”

 

“They just don’t understand us, Bianca. Whatever shall we do?”

 

“Okay.” Aravae spun around abruptly, grabbing hold of her staff. “I’m going to go and scout out the river, see if it’ll be suitable for bathing when the others are done.”

 

“You shouldn’t go alone. I’ll accompany you,” Solas offered.

 

She gave him a neutral smile. “It’s fine, if you want to stay. It’s just at the bottom of the hill. I’m a big girl, I can handle myself.”

 

“It isn’t safe,” he insisted. “What if you happen across Templars?”

 

Aravae was about to argue back that the group had all but scattered when they’d managed to infiltrate their camp and take it down, which had resulted in a few new, small scars for everyone, but she clamped her mouth shut. She should know better than to debate with him. “Okay,” she said in a defeated tone. “Varric, you and Bianca better be finished with your love session by time we get back.”

 

She nearly laughed, hearing the soft moans of disapproval come from the scouts that were moving about the camp.

 

“Don’t wander off too far,” he cautioned. “There are still those strange wolves out there.”

 

“We’ll be careful,” she assured him. “Be back soon.”

 

Both elvhen left their boots behind and set off, staffs in hand. They took a relatively slow pace, not in any real hurry. Aravae spotted a fennec, hurrying off up ahead, scurrying for cover under bushes. When she glanced at Solas out of the corner of her eye, she could see that he seemed preoccupied, his thoughts miles and miles away. She remained silent, not wanting to interrupt. 

 

The roaring of the waterfall grew louder as they approached the small river. Though she left her wrappings on her feet, Aravae rolled up her breeches just enough so that she could step into the water. The cooling sensation on her feet felt amazing. She couldn’t wait to bathe later and clean up. She felt positively grimy and had phantom sensations of still having blood on her skin. As she took another small step forward, she turned to look at Solas. His gaze was more focused as he scanned the other side of the river, looking for any potential threats. When he noticed her looking, he raised an eyebrow at her as a silent question.

 

Needing to reconfirm for herself that no one was around, listening, Aravae slowly spun in a circle. Seeing no more than a couple of nugs playing on the bank on the other side, further down the river, there were no signs of life. She kept her voice as low as possible, just loud enough to be heard over the waterfall. To play it even more safe, she spoke in their native language.  _ “I’ve been wondering… Why are you bothering to help?” _

 

_ “What do you mean, precisely?” _

 

_ “You say that you want to tear down the Veil and that that would kill almost all living people. The Breach is essentially threatening to do the same thing. I know that it’s forcing so many spirits to become demons, too, but…” _

 

_ “Since I have no ideas as to where the orb could have gotten to, the Inquisition right now is the best bet. It grows by the day. Its spies creep to the corners of Thedas. I may have suggested to Ena that whatever caused the explosion could have survived and that such an object of immense power should be recovered. I have no doubt she has Leliana working on it. I have some of my own agents looking for it as well.” _

 

_ “So you’re just playing the part?” _

 

_ “...You sound disappointed.” _

 

_ “I have many mixed feelings about the entire situation. I am certainly not going to stand in your way, but at the same time, I still do not feel that it is the correct course of action.” _ Aravae’s brows furrowed as she watched the water rush by around her ankles.  _ “Will you tell them?” _

 

_ “Them?” _

 

_ “Them.” _ Aravae gestured towards the hill at Solas’s back.  _ “The others. Ena. Or will you just continue to always be the humble hedge mage right until you bring their world down around them?” _

 

His stony expression slid into place.  _ “Honestly? I am currently unsure. Until I come to a decision, I am not forming any real ties with them.” _

 

Aravae recalled when she saw him talking to Ena in Haven. The look he’d had on his face was one of both awe and surprise in reaction to whatever Ena had said. She grit her teeth lightly.  _ “Why do I not entirely believe you, my friend?” _

 

Solas frowned.  _ “What do you mean?” _

 

_ “I can see you distancing yourself from those at the head of the Inquisition, calling them only by their titles, speaking to them very formally. Varric, you refuse to call by his first name. You can get away with me, since I insist on everyone just calling me by name. Ena, however… You call her the Herald in front of others, but I’ve heard you say her name when the others aren’t around. Why is that?” _

 

The corner of his mouth twitched as part of his mask came out of place. He leaned slightly on his staff, his stance less guarded.  _ “I will admit, as you say, she is very openminded. I have never spoken to another Dalish like her. She has...impressed me.” _

 

_ “How so?” _

 

_ “She came to me, asking questions about myself. It then turned into a conversation about the Fade. She asked about spirits and demons and admitted that while she’d never thought of a spirit as a person before...she could entirely see my point. She even said she would  _ **_try_ ** _ to think of them as people.” _

 

Aravae hummed with a smile.  _ “Now you see why I care for her.” _

 

_ “She is unique, that much is for sure.”  _ Solas’s eyes suddenly tore away from Aravae as he looked overtop her. His speech broke away from elvish. “Come away from the river.”

 

Swiftly stepping out and gripping her staff tightly, she spun around, searching for what he’d seen. On the other side, clinging close to the rocky walls, were four wolves. They crept along quickly, traveling further down the river. The last one, just before it passed out of view, turned its head to look at them, eyes an eerie green, almost identical to the color of the Breach. Aravae eased once she saw there were no more wolves coming or going. “I agree with you. I think that a demon  _ has  _ taken control of the pack.”

 

“I said, or the Fade could have driven them mad,” he pointed out.

 

“No. I’m certain it’s a demon.” She peered over her shoulder. “What should we do? Should we get the others?”

 

His lips twisted thoughtfully. “The others will want to just put them all down.”

 

“So you want to go in and just take out the demon?”

 

“Don’t you?”

 

“I agree I don’t want to kill the wolves needlessly, but if they attack, they aren’t going to just stop.”

 

“Well, then… Shall we?” He held a hand out, waiting for her to start moving.

 

Aravae cast one more quick look up the hill. “We can at least scope it out. No one’s watching. Let’s make it quick.”

 

“Ma nuvenin.”

 

The two hurried off out of view of the hill, crossed the river, and followed after where the wolves had gone. For a moment, Aravae felt that things had gone back to how they had been, but in the next, she recalled that there were mages and Templars roaming the hills, slaughtering each other for no other reason than they existed. 

 

They were definitely not living in normal times. Here they were chasing after four wolves to find a demon that had potentially taken over their pack. How often did that happen?

 

They creeped carefully around each corner, making sure that they weren’t about to be ambushed. Aravae kept her dagger drawn, just in case. As if noticing it for the first time, Solas raised a surprised eyebrow at it, but said nothing. When they came to the gaping mouth of what appeared to be a tunnel-like structure that led into the side of the hill, Aravae glanced back at Solas. “What do you think? They’re more than likely in there. They picked a good, defensive location for a den.”

 

The ancient elvhen scanned the surroundings. He gave an affirmative nod to her. “I agree. With none of the others watching, I believe we could handle it on our own.”

 

Aravae nearly scoffed. “Speak for yourself. I still overdo it from time to time if I’m not careful. It’s hard to remind myself to restrain how much magic I use.”

 

Solas leaned in closer to her with a soft laugh. “I suppose I’ll have to keep an eye on you, then.” In the moment where Aravae stepped back with a flustered expression, not having been prepared for him to do what he had done, he moved slowly ahead of her. “You were always a very promising mage, though. I am by no means near my full strength, but you are not weak, either.”

 

She exhaled sharply, tucking her bangs behind her elongated ears. “What’s your plan?”

 

“From the battles we’ve been in, I have noticed your barriers are still quite strong. Keep a barrier on us and if the wolves approach us, I will work with some ice magic.”

 

“That’s...as vague as I was expecting.” Aravae laughed quietly, shaking her head. “Okay. I’m following you.”

 

He looked back at her, lips parted and brows slightly furrowed. Aravae blinked in astonishment, studying his expression.  _ He seems...shocked, for some reason? Why would he be?  _

 

Seeming to have read her mind, he shook his head as he relaxed his expression, a gentle smile gracing his lips. He strapped his staff to his back and reached out to her with a free hand, curling his fingers around hers as he guided her forward into the den. He flexed the fingers of his other hand, readying himself for magic use. She took a moment to exhale slowly, then tapped her staff on the ground, wrapping both of them in a cool, secure barrier. She looked at the back of his head for only a moment more, imagining the flowing auburn locks over his shoulders before reminding herself to focus on their task at hand.

 

She strained her ears to listen for anything other than the echo of their footsteps as they tiptoed in deeper. She made sure to keep her barrier strong while shivers went down her spine, feeling the cool breeze coming from Solas’s hands. He squeezed her hand tighter as the rest of him tensed in preparation. 

 

They stepped into an open area, growls sounding from all around them. Aravae counted just the four they had seen, spread out in the den. Their hackles were raised, teeth bared, and claws digging into the ground, prepped for lunging forward. She tried to tell her pounding heart to remain calm. Avoiding eye contact with them so as not to provoke them more, she looked around past the wolves. Spotting their target, she tightened her own grip on Solas’s hand. He gave a small nod in acknowledgement.    
  


The demon was a little further in, crouched low to the ground, its beady eyes looking directly at them. It shot up on its legs and threw its head back, releasing a blood curling scream. Solas threw his hand up as the wolves snarled and darted towards them. The canines smacked into a thick ice wall that he encased them in. When Aravae released the breath she’d held, it vaporized in front of her. The wolves continued growling, barking, and howling, tackling their bodies against the wall, trying to break through it. Just in case, Aravae kept her barrier up. “What now?” she demanded, jumping slightly as one of the wolves began incessantly scratching at the wall right beside her.

 

“Hold on and trust me,” he replied shortly. “Get your dagger.”

 

He released her hand just long enough to give her a moment to secure her staff to her back and grab her dagger before he took her free hand again. He waved his hand and dropped the front of the ice wall. In the next instant, the two of them darted forward with a fade step, charging right up to the demon. As it jumped backwards, it raised its claws above its head. Solas dropped Aravae’s hand. He grunted with effort as he tried to both encase the demon in ice and raise a new wall behind them. The demon was stunned for a moment as it shook frost from its body, but before it could go in for an attack, Aravae ran up and stabbed it in the chest. When it didn’t go down with one blow, she cried out, stabbing at it repeatedly until it fell to its knees. With another shrieking roar, it dissipated into the air.

 

“Aravae-!”

 

She barely had time to register the sound of the ice wall shattering before she felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder. A scream flew from her lips as she bowled forward, the wolf’s jaw releasing her. She immediately pressed her hand to her shoulder, cursing herself for letting her barrier’s strength diminish so severely. Hissing through her teeth, she glanced upward, where the gray wolf was crouched and snarling defensively. From between the wolf’s legs, Aravae spotted several small eyes peering back at her. She could feel the swell of Solas’s magic when she shouted, “Wait! Don’t!”

 

She felt his hesitation and took that moment to carefully scoot backwards on the ground, trying to ignore the oozing blood between her fingers. She grunted in pain and wheezed slightly as she explained, “She has pups. She’s protecting them. That’s all.”

 

While the wolf continued crouching and snarling, she made no further movement to charge them. Solas cautiously helped Aravae to her feet while he kept an eye on the other wolves. They were all standing attentively, piercing gazes locked on them, but were making no other threatening gestures. Solas tugged Aravae and backed them up out of the den. The wolves did not pursue them, but did release a chilling howl that echoed amidst the walls, rattling in their heads. 

 

The moment they were in the open, Aravae fell back to her knees, wincing at the pain. Solas wrapped his hands in soothing healing magic and pressed it to her shoulder. As she sighed in relief at the alleviation it brought her, she looked back at him. “Thank you.”

 

“I’m sorry,” he replied quickly. His jaw was clenched and his eyes narrowed. “The wall wasn’t strong enough.”

 

“Don’t,” she whispered. “It wasn’t your fault. Things happen. I was expecting worse, willingly walking into a den of wolves.” Offering him a pained smile, she added, “At least she was gracious enough to let us off with a warning.”

 

Not amused by her jab, Solas shot her a scolding look as he poured more healing magic into her shoulder. As another jolt of pain racked her shoulder and arm, Aravae sighed and fell silent, letting Solas work. It was only a few more moments before he inquired, “How is that?”

 

She tested moving her arm. She knew that her armor took most of the damage, but a wolf’s jaw was incredibly powerful. Clearly, her skin had been punctured, but the question was how deep. She knew the surrounding skin would certainly bruise and be painful for several days, even with continued healing. She flinched and her face involuntarily scrunched in discomfort as her arm and shoulder screamed in protest. Swallowing thickly, she croaked, “It’s better.”

 

“Let’s head back to camp. We should take a better look at it and dress it properly.” Solas stood and offered her a hand. She accepted it and let him help her up to her feet.

 

Ena came running up to greet them once they were about to enter the camp, but her grin quickly fell into a concerned frown. She held her hands up, though she didn’t entirely touch Aravae’s bloodied shoulder. “What happened? Where have you been?” she demanded quickly.

 

“We had...a little run-in with some wolves,” Aravae offered weakly. 

 

“More of the strange ones?! When we talked with the horsemaster-” Ena shook her head, “No, it can wait. Are you okay? Come on, let’s take a look at that. Solas, are you okay?”

 

“I am fine,” he assured her. “I healed her shoulder a little, but it needs proper attention.”

 

“Right.” Ena led Aravae away to one of their pitched tents, Cassandra looking after them with a raised brow. Once the flap was closed, Aravae let Ena help her undress enough to thoroughly examine her wound. There were several deep punctures and the entirety of the area was already turning an ugly shade of purple. The blood flow had slowed, thanks to Solas, but there was still some oozing from the fresh injuries. While Ena gathered a basin and a cloth to clean it with, she tutted, “It isn’t like you to be so careless.”

 

Aravae hissed while Ena scrubbed the blood away, struggling to remain still. “Yes, well, these wolves were much more determined than your average one. They  _ were  _ being controlled by a demon, after all.”

 

“They were? Fenedhis,” she cursed. “We’ll need to go and take care of that.”

 

“We did already. The demon is dead.”

 

Ena paused in her task to gap at Aravae. “Just the two of you?”

 

“There weren’t many wolves and it was only one demon. Not to mention, we killed only the demon, not the wolves. This,” she moved her arm a little, “happened because once they were free of control, one of them attacked because I was too close to her cubs.”

 

Ena released a breath of relief. “Leave it to you. You left the wolves alone, didn’t you?”

 

“Yes. They didn’t commit any wrongdoings of their own choice. I was just, as you so poetically put it, careless.”

 

The redhead’s gaze grew somewhat sad and distant. “I worry for you, lethallan. I worry the Dread Wolf will catch your scent.”

 

The comment threw Aravae off guard a little. She took a moment to gather her words. “Thank you, lethallan, but I will be fine.”

 

The certainty in Aravae’s voice seemed to put Ena’s thoughts at ease. Her eyes became more focused as she put more effort behind cleaning up Aravae’s shoulder. Aravae looked away wistfully, feeling partially guilty that her dear friend had no idea how close the Dread Wolf’s steps actually were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Sorry that I am a day late with the update. The moving process is in full swing and I got a bit distracted. However, here it is and I hope that you enjoyed it!
> 
> Thank you all again so much for your kudos and comments! They really brighten my day and encourage me to keep chugging forward with this!
> 
> Questions to ask? Things to know? Ask them here or pop by my Tumblr, where I post occasional things, along with some sneak previews now. Thank you for reading and see you next week!


	6. Chapter 6

When the party of five arrived back in Haven, atop their new mounts, it was not very grandeur...or welcoming, for that matter. Ena had mumbled something about a hot bath and Aravae could have sworn she heard a happy sigh come from the Seeker. The mood was swiftly dampened when the usual hustle and bustle of the village was eerily nonexistent. As they dismounted outside the gates, each of them glanced around, wondering where everyone was. The people in the forge were still hard at work, but the area that qualified as the training grounds was all but deserted. A few dedicated souls were sparring with one another, but not even the commander was to be seen.

 

“Where is everyone?” Cassandra inquired towards one of the workers in the forge. The woman looked up, wiping her brow with her sleeve, then looked stunned at the lack of people outside the walls. Cassandra shook her head and set off, determined to find out for herself.

 

As the others followed after her, just as curious, they could hear some shouts as they passed through the gates. A few people were even running up towards the Chantry, their own cries joining the crowd. In the center of the crowd, a mage and Templar were getting dangerously close to each other, both in threatening stances. Cassandra put a hand on the hilt of her sword as she began to push her way through the crowd, but a roar of, “Enough!” all but silenced the entire area. Cullen had forced himself between the two and shoved them away from each other, thoroughly scolding both sides in a growling, authoritative tone. While Cassandra and Ena continued their way up to the center of the crowd, the other three hung back, not wanting to get involved with whatever dispute was going down.

 

Finally, the people began to disperse once Cullen snapped to all of them to get back to work. Only Chancellor Roderick remained behind, spitting insults and demeaning questions in Cullen’s face. It was enough to make Aravae groan in irritation. A small, humorless chuckle came from Varric. “Yeah, I’m not a fan, either. Well, Curly and the Seeker should have it under control now. I’m gonna go put my feet up.” He walked away with a wave and a shake of his head.

 

Aravae and Solas continued observing. Ena intervened with a soothing tone, trying to get both the Commander and the Chancellor to calm down. Even while Roderick continued sneering at Ena, it was enough to give her pause, but she never lost her temper with him. She assured him over and over they were doing the right thing since they didn’t have time to wait for a new Divine to be elected and solve all of Thedas’s problems. Aravae scoffed. “Good for her. If I were her, I would have pummeled him into the ground long ago. I don’t have her patience.”

 

“You’re not normally very violent-tempered,” Solas commented, his underlying tone that of amusement.

 

“Something about him rubs me the wrong way. He’s so...close-minded. He runs at the mouth to get the crowd worked up and on his side so he can come out on top.” She huffed and set a hand on her hip. “I suppose I really just dislike how he spouts about change and order and he does nothing himself. He just wants to see Ena in chains. That’s what would make him happy.”

 

“Yes, well, we will not let such a thing happen.”

 

A sly grin worked its way to Aravae’s face. “We?” she echoed.

 

Without denying or explaining his words, Solas turned on his heel to walk away. “Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Aravae.”

 

Aravae scowled at his retreating figure. When she looked back, the Chancellor was also walking away. Ena heaved a sigh and apologized to Cullen. The shemlen man seemed a little flustered at her apology, rubbing the back of his neck while Aravae approached. “It’s nothing you should feel the need to apologize for,” he assured her. “I will keep the peace here while you take care of things in Val Royeaux, have no fear.”

 

“He’s just very…” Ena trailed off, not sure of her words.

 

“Trying?” Cullen offered dryly.

 

Cassandra crossed her arms. “He is definitely quick to run his mouth, but try not to antagonize him _too_ much.”

 

Cullen nearly looked offended by the Seeker’s words. “Me? Perhaps _he_ should try leaving _me_ alone.”

 

Cassandra all but snickered at his childish tone. “Have there been many disputes while we’ve been away?”

 

“Small ones. That was the largest one we’ve had yet.”

 

“Well, we have much to discuss.”

 

“I agree.” Ena bore a weary expression, drawing a small chuckle from Cullen. He rested his hand atop his sword hilt, falling into a more relaxed stance. “I’m sure you’re all tired, though. We can convene the war council later tonight. There aren’t any matters quite _that_ urgent.”

 

“Yes, I suppose you have a point. We’ll meet up later.” Cassandra gave a decisive nod and set out for her room.

 

“That didn’t take much convincing,” Ena commented with a smile. “I guess she does tire like the rest of us.”

 

Cullen grinned. “That bad?”

 

“There _were_ days I tended to forget she was mortal,” Aravae concurred nonchalantly. “It’s impressive, but she needs rest as much as the rest of us, if not more.”

 

“She does tend to forget simple things like rest. Well, Herald, my Lady, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get the recruits working double time to make up for the trouble they’ve caused.”

 

Ena gestured for him to move on. “Don’t let us keep you.” At the same time, Aravae groaned and drawled her own name, tired of Cullen and the others trying to call her by any titles. He gave an almost sympathetic smile and hurried off to the training grounds.

 

Ena reached up and tugged the ribbon holding her hair up, letting all of it fall down to the tops of her shoulders. Running her fingers through her hair, she glanced up at the gaping Breach. “I didn’t miss this sky,” she muttered. In a brighter tone, she said, “I’m going to have a bath drawn up. Want to go ahead and just use the one they bring me for yourself, too?”

 

“Yes, that sounds fine. Lead the way.”

 

Soon enough, there was a tub in Ena’s room filled with warm water, a few containers of oils next to it, courtesy of the ambassador. Aravae urged Ena to go first while she sat on the floor, her back leaning on the tub, stripped down to her small clothes. Ena sighed dreamily as she sank into the water, letting it relax her muscles before she even thought about scrubbing the grime from the Hinterlands away. She turned her golden gaze to the back of Aravae’s head, watching her for a few minutes. “What are you thinking about?” Ena asked softly.

 

Aravae turned her head to look at Ena out of the corner of her eye, resting her chin on her shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Hm? Me? I’m fine.”

 

Aravae raised an eyebrow at her.

 

Ena’s smile fell away as she sank down into the water up to her chin. “I’m a little tired...a little overwhelmed...but I also feel like we’re really doing some good.” She splashed some water on her face and slowly rubbed her hands on her forehead, cheeks, and neck, working her way down. “The mark still burns some, but it’s not near as bad as it was originally.”

 

Aravae drew her knees up to her chest. “Are you holding up okay?”

 

“I am, truly. Cassandra, Solas, and Varric really helped out a lot.” Ena let out a small giggle. “I like them, don’t you?”

 

“They’re growing on me,” Aravae admitted, grinning slightly.

 

“Cassandra’s so headstrong and doesn’t waver in her actions. I envy that. I’d like to be like that more.”

 

“You’re stubborn enough. I don’t need you to give me an even harder time.”

 

Ena gaped and leaned over the tub, dripping water on Aravae. “I do _not_ give you a hard time!”

 

She squeaked with surprise and scooted away. “Whatever you say.”

 

Though she stuck her bottom lip out in a mock pout, Ena sat back in the tub. She sunk back down in the water, dunking her head and rubbing her scalp. “Will you hand me one of the oils for my hair?”

 

Aravae grabbed one and shuffled to the backside of the tub. “I’ll do it. Lean back.”

 

Ena complied and close her eyes. A smile slowly formed as Aravae worked her fingers through the woman’s short hair, rubbing the oil in and undoing any tangles she came across. “Then there’s Varric. He’s got such stories,” Ena said hesitantly. “But I feel like he has a... I don’t know, a sadness underneath his exterior.”

 

“Much like yourself?” Aravae winced once the words left her mouth. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t called for.”

 

“Oh, don’t apologize. I suppose everyone has something to hide, right? Speaking of which, don’t you feel like something is a little odd about Solas?”

 

Aravae couldn’t deny she saw this conversation coming. Still, she took a breath before replying. “Odd? Go ahead and rinse.”

 

“I don’t mean it in a bad way.” Ena dipped her head back in the water, running her fingers through her hair. “I suppose he reminds me a little of you. You both have somewhat mysterious backgrounds. You have different airs about you. You seem to have connected with him more than the others.”

 

“I could say the same about you,” she retorted, careful not to say so too quickly.

 

“I suppose you have a point. I like Cassandra and Varric, but I still feel very out of my element without anyone other than the People. Solas has fascinating stories, as well. Did you know he considers spirits as people?”

 

The two friends talked for quite a while longer, Aravae reheating the water in the tub with a glyph before slipping in to wash next. Once they finished up, Ena braiding Aravae’s hair while it was still damp, they went their own ways. Ena tried to persuade Aravae to join her at the war council, but the elvhen woman shook her head, saying she’d be nearby if Ena needed advice, but she wasn’t too keen on spending a couple of hours in that small room.

 

Not wanting to do anything else other than putting her feet up, Aravae retreated back to her cabin and set her armor aside, happy not to have all of its weight on her any longer. She lit a fire and sat in the chair, draping herself across the armrests, letting her legs dangle over the edge. While she could hear the activity dying down outside due to the hour of the day, the world still felt much more quiet when she took a deep breath. She was glad to be able to relax. She tucked an arm behind her head, settled in, and closed her eyes.

 

* * *

 

_It was as though she just blinked, opening her eyes again and looking in a mirror, shocking herself. It had been a long, long time since she’d seen the green lines of Falon’din’s vallaslin dancing across her face. She reached a hand up and touched her reflection, her hand shaking slightly. Taking a breath to calm herself, she took a step back and looked beyond her reflection. It wasn’t just a mirror she was standing before; It was an eluvian, but it wasn’t activated._

 

_“I take it you’re feeling better?”_

 

_Aravae jumped, not having seen anyone approach in the mirror. When she spun around, a bare faced elvhen woman smiled gently at her, tilting her head slightly, her long golden hair showering over her shoulders. Aravae furrowed her brows. “Elgara? You’re alive?”_

 

_As if the woman hadn’t heard Aravae, she gave a nod. “Well, progress is progress. Would you like me to show you around?”_

 

_Aravae remembered this. She knew she was watching a memory and knew what she said next, but she couldn’t help herself. “But if I’m here, then Rienmar and Estelar-”_

 

_“I promise, we will help them as well. Fen’harel’s goal is to help free all slaves. We especially want to help the children, but you’ll just have to be patient.” Elgara’s face was sympathetic, but she gestured for Aravae to follow along._

 

_She choked, falling back into the pull of her memory’s words. “But they could be in danger.”_

 

_“We are all in danger, lethallan. Here, however, you can be safe. This place is well protected with Fen’harel’s power.”_

 

_Indeed, Aravae could feel the thrum of magic everywhere in the air, looking around at the lake and mountains she was surrounded by. She was standing out on the bridge leading into the grand building in the center of the lake. Dragging her feet, she followed behind Elgara, the warm wind not feeling the slightest bit comforting. She looked at Elgara’s back, feeling a pit in her stomach, not hearing her words as she explained where they were and what was located where. They passed by numerous other elvhen, some injured like Aravae was. Both of her arms, her left shin, her left hip, and her chest were all bandaged tightly. Though she didn’t feel it now, she remembered the agonizing pain she had been in after being caught up in a battle in the war between the evanuris._

 

_“You don’t have to lie to me,” Aravae whispered, hanging her head to look at the floor. “I know I didn’t remember right away when I woke up, but I know now. I appreciate it, Elgara, but…”_

 

_“You-?” Elgara stopped and spun around, her lips parted in shock. “You want to see Fen’harel? Well...he is seen around here often, but he does not mingle among us for long. He is usually up among one of the other eluvians, standing alone.”_

 

_“Please take me there,” Aravae found herself saying._

 

_“I can’t. Not right now, at least. Please wait until you’re more healed.”_

 

_“I’m fine.”_

 

_“You are not. On top of your physical injuries, you used a great amount of your magic. You’re more drained than you-” Aravae’s knees buckled and Elgara darted forward, helping to catch her. With a small sigh, she raised an eyebrow. “See? I promise I will take you to him, but you need to recover your strength.”_

 

 _Aravae blinked again and she was suddenly not in the building anymore. She was up above it, on one of the structures overlooking it from a distance. She was still bandaged, but was wearing new clothes, sitting on the ground. She glanced around, knowing where she was,_ **_when_ ** _she was._

 

_It was her first meeting with the legendary Fen’harel._

 

_Naturally, he kept her waiting. She wasn’t sure how long she waited up in the spot Elgara had shown her, but she refused to budge until she saw the Dread Wolf to plead to him to save her husband and daughter as soon as possible. When he finally appeared, it was well past sunset, under a starry sky. He seemed a little shocked that there was someone waiting there, sitting on the stone. Aravae took a moment, making sure that it wasn’t actually Solas. Once she was convinced it was only the figure of her memory, she stood up, clenching her fists._

 

_“Fen’harel...sir…” She nearly stuttered, her nerves tearing at her. “I needed to ask a favor, please. When I was trying to escape, my husband and my daughter were with me...but when I woke up here, I was the only one. I need to save them.”_

 

_She saw the twinge of sympathy in Fen’harel’s eyes. He cleared his throat and stepped forward. “You are Aravae, correct?”_

 

_“You remember the name of everyone you save?”_

 

_“No,” he replied shortly. “I was there with my agents when we came across you.”_

 

_Forgetting who she was addressing, Aravae dared to step closer and raise herself on her toes to get near Fen’harel’s face, looking directly into his conflicted blue eyes. Her voice cracked with emotion. “Then why aren’t Rienmar and Estelar? Where are they at?!”_

 

_Fen’harel did not back down from Aravae, looking back at her green, watering gaze. “You do not remember?”_

 

_“Remember what?!” she screamed, the terror building inside._

 

_“They were killed.”_

 

_The silence that fell was unlike any other that Aravae had ever heard. At that moment, she felt completely empty, but at the same time, shattered into pieces. Her stomach churned and she felt like she might be sick. Instead, she sobbed thickly, pounding a fist against Fen’harel’s chest. Part of her hoped he, a god, would grow enraged and smite her into nothing on the spot. “You’re lying,” she croaked._

 

_“I am not… I am sorry.” Fen’harel stood still, allowing her to beat her fists against him, each blow growing weaker and weaker. “They were killed by the pursuers of Elgar’nan. You went into a rage, exploding with raw magic. You killed all of them.”_

 

_Aravae could no longer form words. The pain in her chest was creeping into her throat. Tears rolled freely from her eyes as she wailed. Her limbs lost any strength she had left and she wobbled, falling like a stone to her knees, not even wincing at the pain that shot up her legs. She bowled over, her forehead touching the ground as she cried, her entire body shuddering violently. Fen’harel slowly knelt in front of her. Hesitantly, he reached a single hand out and rubbed her back, unsure how to offer any other comfort. He remained with her silently, letting her cry her heart out until she grew exhausted and passed out._

 

* * *

 

She woke with a quivering gasp, jerking up in the chair. Feeling a few stray tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, she quickly wiped them away, sitting up properly. She cleared her throat, propped her elbows on her knees, and leaned forward towards the dimming fire. She exhaled sharply, wanting her heart to stop racing and her limbs to stop feeling so limp and useless.

 

Staring into the small flames, she scoffed humorlessly to herself. _How could I forget? I can never truly relax, can I? The moment I try, the past comes back to haunt me._

 

A chill grazed across her arm and touched her own magical aura. Though goosebumps crawled over her skin, it brought her a small amount of comfort. “Come in, Solas.”

 

The door creaked open and closed as he stepped inside. He took slow steps towards her chair. “Ena tried to come by earlier, she said, but you wouldn’t wake.”

 

“I suppose I was more tired than I thought.” Aravae mentally kicked herself, knowing her voice sounded shaky.

 

Not fooled, Solas stepped around in front of the chair, fixing up her fire before looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze. “Just tired?”

 

“In...more ways than one.” She leaned back in the chair, bringing her feet up to rest on the edge of the seat. “It was just a dream.”

 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

 

“It was just...our first meeting.”

 

Understanding, Solas nodded slowly and silently. “Would you like me to leave you alone, or…?”

 

“I wouldn’t mind some company. Just...could you talk about something else? Distract me from it?”

 

“Of course.” Solas stood upright, leaning against the wall. “Ena informed us that we will leave in a couple of days to go to Val Royeaux. I guess the council came to an agreement that it was time to address the Chantry. I imagine we will not be very welcomed. Not only is the Herald of Andraste an elf, but so are two of her four companions. Orlais looks down on elves, the majority of the population in servant positions. We will need to be prepared to be under a large amount of scrutiny…”

 

Aravae’s eyes brightened a little, grateful that Solas knew her well enough to not question her requests. She listened to him until she could all but forget about the nightmare she’d had. In the morning, she’d be better. She’d pull through her own emotional tangles. She always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Sorry I was a day late again. Just busy packing, packing, packing. This time next week, I will be in my new home with my fiance! That will also lead to me apologize in advance, because I will surprise myself if I manage to get the next chapter up on time. I still plan on having it done for next week, but possibly just later in the week. With that said...
> 
> Thank you all so much for continuing to read and leaving kudos! I really appreciate all of you so much! <3
> 
> Questions, comments, want to just chat? Leave one below or hit me up on my Tumblr! Look forward to hearing from you and see you all next week (at some point)!


	7. Chapter 7

**Click[here](https://solverne.tumblr.com/post/159799757360/my-second-commission-piece-ive-gotten-by-the?is_highlighted_post=1) if you would like to see the wonderful character art that the amazing [hansaera-art](http://hansaera-art.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr created for me for another commission piece! However, this time it is of Ena! <3 I am having issues attaching the picture directly, but I guess that just means you'll have to go check it out and take a look at her Tumblr while you're at it! If you love Solavellan, you'll  _really_ wanna check her out.**

 

* * *

 

 

Neither Aravae nor Ena cared for Val Royeaux one bit. The constant ogling and whispering from the people behind the strange masks was an easy way to raise hairs on the backs of their necks. More than once, Cassandra scowled in the direction of the gossipers, which Ena especially was thankful for. Though she felt like every move of hers was being watched one way or another in the grand city, she didn’t feel alone, thanks to the presence of her companions.

 

The argument with the Chantry mother at the head of a crowd was no better. Ena insisted that while she did not speak for Andraste, she was there to help, regardless of anyone’s religious beliefs or race. No matter what she said, the others occasionally throwing in their say, it only added fuel to the fire. Just when it seemed like the mother was going to unleash a mob upon the group of “heretics”, things only got worse when the Lord Seeker appeared.

 

When the templars shunned the mother and her followers, Cassandra attempted to plead with Lord Seeker Lucius, but he refused to hear a word she had to say. When the templars followed Lucius from the city, it was far from quiet as the crowd began to disperse, their rage toward the Herald of Andraste all but forgotten. They did not try to hide their panicked voices as they spoke, demanding to know what was going to happen to the city without the protection of the templars.

 

Aravae stole a glance at Ena. The Dalish woman appeared grim, her lips pursed together and brows drawn together. Once she gathered her thoughts, her expression shifted to concern. “One thing at a time. Let’s go make sure the mother is alright. She got hit pretty hard.”

 

“You want to make sure she’s okay? After she was just getting ready to sic a crowd on you like mabaris?” Varric gaped, throwing his hands up in confusion. When he saw the determination on Ena’s face, he sighed. “Fine. You’re a much better person than me, that’s for sure.”

 

Ena offered up a smile. “Solas, do you mind helping? If she’ll allow us, could you heal her a little?”

 

Solas tilted his head, just as shocked as Varric. “If she’ll allow us,” he confirmed.

 

“Thank you. It can’t hurt to try.”

 

Naturally, the mother rejected any assistance, not wanting to accept any pity from Ena. No matter how much she stressed that she only wanted to help, it did no good. When they stepped away, giving the Chantry members their space, Cassandra began walking down towards the docks. Though a little puzzled, the others trailed after her. They walked down a particularly long pier that harbored no ship, Cassandra leaning against one of the beams.

 

She heaved a heavy sigh while looking out towards the horizon. “Forgive me. This is a lot to take in and I did not want to be surrounded by those close walls while I thought. I figured it would be safer.”

 

“It _is_ more open. It would be hard for an assassin to hide,” Solas agreed, though he turned back around to look at the city.

 

Varric grunted, looking around at the ships docked. “Well, we’ll be spending the night here before heading out, right? Do you have an inn lined up?”

 

“Leliana’s people took care of it,” Cassandra replied. “Once we head towards it, I strongly recommend no exploring. Especially for you three.”

 

The elves looked up at her simultaneously. They exchanged glances, then shrugged. “It’s too big for me anyways,” Ena said nonchalantly. “While it’s impressive, I don’t particularly care for it.”

 

“Likewise,” Aravae concurred, eyeballing the buildings nearest the docks.

 

Varric beamed all too broadly. “Well, if we’re all going to be holed up in the inn for the evening, sounds like we need some Wicked Grace to pass the time by.”

 

Cassandra groaned while Solas chuckled lightly. Ena looked interested. “I’ve heard you speak the name, but I’ve never played it. It’s a card game, right?”

 

“That it is, Zinnia. Now, me being the educated individual I am, I like to share my knowledge. I would be all too happy to instruct you in the ways of the game.”

 

Ena crossed her arms with a smirk. “No betting until I’ve got the rules down.”

 

“Why, you believe _I_ would dare to cheat the _Herald of Andraste_?”

 

“Yes,” all of the others chorused together, shooting looks in his direction.

 

The dwarf held his hands up to his chest, taking a step back with a grunt as though he’d been physically struck. “Owch. Fine. No betting until you understand the rules.”

 

Ena looked next to Cassandra. “Will the inn provide dinner?” Once she nodded in confirmation, Ena walked up and patted Varric’s back. “Alright. Let’s head that way, then.”

 

“You two coming?” Varric asked the other two elvhen.

 

Aravae bobbed her head. “Sure. I’ll come along. This should be interesting enough.”

 

“I’ll...stay out here a while longer. If that is alright with you, Seeker?”

 

Cassandra looked a little surprised and confused. She drew her brows together. “You are a grown man. You can do as you please.”

 

“Well, I just didn’t want to intrude if you wanted to be alone for a while.”

 

For a split second, Cassandra’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, I-I’m sorry. I appreciate it, Solas, but you will not disturb me.”

 

With that, after checking with Cassandra which inn it was, Varric led Aravae and Ena off. They stuck close together, attempting at avoiding any eye contact with people as they passed by. They could hear the whispers - if one could even call their poor attempts “whispering” - that carried insults and slurs. More than once, Varric would raise his voice as he spoke, trying to cover up what the Val Royeaux residents were saying. Both women truly appreciated it.

 

When they came to the inn, they were all too happy to slip inside, shoving the door closed behind them. There was a welcoming fire roaring in its hearth and a few people standing behind the counter. Thankfully, they weren’t wearing masks. Varric introduced them and the woman let out a small squeak. “Oh, the Inquisition! So-so you must be the Herald of Andraste! Oh, my lady,” she bowed her head, making Ena squirm, “it is such an honor for us to meet you and serve you. Please, anything at all that you need, just say the word and we will have it done! Would you like some food or would you like to retire to your room immediately? I’m sure you must be positively tired. Dreadful business, what happened in the plaza-”

 

“My dear,” the man beside her placed his hands on her shoulders, “please calm down. Don’t jump all over her.” With a small chuckle, he directed his attention to Ena. “Please forgive my wife, Herald. Needless to say, she is a bit beside herself. I agree that you have honored us and our humble inn. I apologize that it isn’t as extravagant and showy as others in the city.”

 

Ena tried offering a friendly smile, smothering how uncomfortable she was. “No, it is perfect for us. Thank you for having us. I think we’ll stay down here for a time. Is it too much to ask for some food?”

 

“Not at all.” The husband listed off the few food items they were offering for the day and once the three chose, the wife flitted away to the kitchen.

 

They picked a table near the fire and sat, Varric procuring a deck of cards. Aravae raised an eyebrow, eyeing the rogue’s clothing. “...Where do you keep those?”

 

“Trade secret. They’re sanitary, I promise.” Varric winked. “Now, the rules…”

 

To say that it was rowdy when Cassandra and Solas finally wandered into the inn was generous. The hostess wife was all too happy to ensure that their mugs remained filled to the brim while they played Wicked Grace. The trio at the table even coaxed the host husband into playing a few rounds with them. Roaring laughter greeted the warrior and mage as they shut the door, slowly absorbing the scene before them.

 

Varric was waving his arms around dramatically as he told a story, a huge grin plastered on his face. Aravae and Ena, both their cheeks rosy, leaned against each other, wiping away tears that were brought on by their belly laughter. The host smacked the table as he cackled, then went to patting Varric on the shoulder.

 

“...This is the last time we let Varric lead them with anything,” Cassandra muttered.

 

While Solas couldn’t help but smile a little at the scene before him, he sighed. “Agreed.”

 

Noticing their company, Ena jumped up in her seat, nearly causing Aravae to fall over on the bench. “Cassandra! Solas! Come join us!”

 

Cassandra looked around quickly, desperate for a way out. When her eyes landed on the hostess, she walked over to her, leaving Solas to fend for himself. The elvhen man sent a dry glare in her direction, to which she gave a sympathetic crinkle of her eyes. Fearing he had no choice, Solas made his way over to the table, though he didn’t take a seat. While he looked amused, he spoke with the tone of a scolding father, “Having fun, are we?”

 

“This game is _fun_ ,” Ena said with awe, slamming back down on her rear. “Have you ever played it? You should play it with us.”

 

Aravae leaned back carefully on the bench. “Don’t be a buzz kill, Cassandra; You come play too!”

 

Cassandra scowled. Solas shook his head. “Thank you, Herald, but no thank you. One of us here should have a level head.”

 

“She will.” Aravae pointed to Cassandra. “Come on, Solas, you never relax.”

 

“I agree!” Ena smacked Aravae’s arm repeatedly. “He doesn’t, does he? Solas, you always seem so...preoccupied. Is that the word I’m looking for?”

 

“One of many.” Varric scooted over and patted the bench seat beside him. “C’mon, Chuckles.”

 

* * *

 

Ena groaned loudly as she sat up in bed, rubbing her temples. Her brain felt like it was pounding against the walls of her skull and when she peeked through her eyelids, the intruding light only made it worse. She managed to glance down and saw that she was still fully clothed in her scouting armor. That was the _last_ time she would drink that much. Though the drink last night was much better than the stuff Flissa served in Haven, its taste was _not_ worth this pain in her head. She glanced about the room and saw two empty beds, though it looked like one hadn’t been slept in. Aravae was laying on her stomach on the fourth bed, snoring lightly. Clearly, she was still knocked out.

 

Spotting a water basin near one of the other beds - the one Cassandra slept in, she assumed -, she made her way over to it after finding her footing and splashed some on her face and neck. It helped a little, but she figured it would be a while before the pounding headache faded away. _I hope I can manage to stay on my horse._

 

She quietly slipped from the room and made her way downstairs. She spotted Varric slouched over a table, hand grasping a mug. Her eyes bulged. There was no way he was drinking...was there? Across from him, Cassandra slowly sipped something warm from her own mug and had a bowl of soup in front of her. As if from thin air, the hostess appeared just as Ena stepped off of the last step, smiling knowingly. “Good morning, Your Worship. Would you like some food as well? And a little something to help your headache, like your friend there?”

 

Ena laughed weakly, instantly regretting that decision. She nodded gratefully. “Yes, please. If you could, can you also have one ready for my other friend, for when she wakes up?”

 

“Of course, Lady Herald. Right away.” She slipped away.

 

Ena took a spot beside Cassandra, lowering herself with a long exhale. Varric gave her a thumbs-up without ever lifting his head. “I agree wholeheartedly,” he mumbled.

 

“Perhaps this will be a learning experience?” Cassandra took a sip of her soup. “I don’t mean to be brash, Ena, but someone labeled as you are, the Herald of Andraste, probably shouldn’t be...ah, indulging in spirits as you all did last night.”

 

Varric scoffed and raised his head, eyes narrowed. “Oh, please. People should be able to see that she isn’t a divine, majestic being. No offense. They should be able to see that she’s just one of the common folk, striving to help.”

 

While Cassandra’s nostrils flared, she took a breath before replying, “I can see where you’re coming from, Varric, but when one of her main enemies is the Chantry, they can use the slightest thing as ammunition against her. We shouldn’t be making it easy for them.”

 

“Y’know, Seeker, you really should _relax_ -”

 

Ena intervened, not wanting an argument to start this early in the morning and add to her headache. “It’s okay, Varric. I agree, Cassandra. I didn’t mean to even go that far last night, but...this drink here she was giving us is so much smoother than Flissa’s.”

 

“Ha! Isn’t it?” Varric chuckled.

 

Cassandra shook her head and returned to her soup. The hostess swooped by and brought Ena her soup and concoction, which smelled positively awful. Varric raised his mug and said, “May I suggest drinking it incredibly fast, before the smell _really_ hits you?”

 

Ena nearly gagged as she raised the mug up closer to her face. Cassandra watched without a shred of sympathy. If anything, she looked more amused. Ena exhaled sharply, then brought the mug to her lips and chugged it as quickly as she could. Whatever it was - she didn’t even want to ask -, it was thick, yet almost slimy. When she emptied its contents, she coughed rather violently and slammed the mug on the table. Varric nodded approvingly, sipping his own mysterious blend with a powerful grimace.

 

Once Ena finished her soup and neither Aravae nor Solas had appeared yet, she offered to go rouse them so they could eat and be on their way. She knocked politely on the door of the room Solas and Varric had shared. It opened almost immediately. Solas cleared his throat. “Ah, forgive me, Herald. I didn’t mean to sleep in so long. I was just getting ready to come downstairs for a bite to eat. I hope I’m not holding you up.”

 

“Not at all,” she assured him. “I’m about to go and fight the good fight and get Aravae up. I think she’s still dead to the world.”

 

Solas chuckled lightly and stepped out of the room once Ena moved aside. “Yes, she does seem to enjoy sleeping in, doesn’t she?”

 

“On top of last night, I can only imagine the wonderful mood she’s going to be in.” Ena gave a small giggle of her own. “Well, wish me luck.”

 

“Indeed. Good luck,” he offered as he continued on down the hallway.

 

Ena opened the door and peeked her head in first. Aravae had at least rolled over onto her back, her messy, wavy hair pooling around her. The blanket she had been wrapped up in had almost slipped completely off, revealing that Aravae had managed to strip herself down to just her smallclothes before passing out the night before. Ena grinned endearingly at her close friend. Even when with the Lavellan clan, she had never truly let her guard down enough to _enjoy_ herself with them. She had spent years with them. Here she was with a diverse group of strangers for mere weeks creeping into months and she allowed herself to become intoxicated. It was really unlike her.

 

She took long strides across the room and shook Aravae a few times. “C’mon, lethallan. Wake up.”

 

A displeased grunt answered her as Aravae rolled to her side.

 

Ena smirked and pulled at Aravae’s shoulders, putting her back to her previous position. “Nope, you’ve slept long enough. Let’s go. Up.”

 

Aravae now groaned and cracked open a single eye. “Ugh.”

 

“Yes, I agree. The innkeeper has something to make your head feel better. But you have to get up and get dressed to come get it.”

 

“...Hnngh.”

 

“I know that your vocabulary doesn’t include words yet, but I need something that agrees you aren’t going to go back to sleep.”

 

Aravae slid her eye closed again with a sigh, then slowly hoisted herself to a sitting position. She looked at Ena almost as if waiting for praise before her face contorted and she glanced down, realizing she wasn’t clad in her clothes. She grumbled dark elvish under her breath and slowly stood, waving Ena to go on.

 

With a laugh, Ena backed out of the room. “If you aren’t down in five minutes, I’m coming back up here!”

 

Once more, only an affirmative grunt of acknowledgement answered her. Ena went back downstairs to rejoin the others and to her slight surprise, Aravae was only a minute or two behind her. She managed to form words and thank the hostess for the food and brew, downing the mug with a glower. Varric chuckled at her but was wise enough to hold his tongue until Aravae regained more of her consciousness.

 

With everything taken care of at the inn, the group went to set out from Val Royeaux when a figure met them near the gates in the shadows. Ena had no idea who she was, but judging by the tones of Cassandra, Solas, and Varric, she was someone quite important. Solas even labeled her the leader of the current mage rebellion. With that, Ena paid more attention. When the woman, Fiona, extended an invitation to come see her and the other mages at Redcliffe, she hesitated. She didn’t sense she had any reason to fear the woman, but she wasn’t sure what the proper route of action was. She would prefer to discuss it with those who had a better grasp on the mage rebellion situation, so she assured Fiona she would strongly consider it. With a small, seemingly knowing smirk, Fiona parted by saying, “I will be waiting for you there.”

 

For some reason, that got under Ena’s skin a little. She didn’t like people assuming that they knew what path she was going to take. She knew that whatever she decided would be huge: would the Inquisition side with the mages or with the Templars? She felt the pressure bearing down on her shoulders as though it were physical. It had kept her up at night sometimes, weighing the pros and cons. She spoke with those around her, trying to get their perspective and seeing why they were leaning the way they were. She would start to feel confident in a decision, but then she would talk with someone else and be brought right back to the borderline where she started.

 

The entire journey back to Haven (thankfully, she, Aravae, and Varric were able to remain on their mounts and keep up), she was plagued with this decision that she knew she needed to come to. The Breach wasn’t growing smaller and it sure wasn’t going to close on its own. A couple of times, the group ran into more skirmishes - though really, they felt like free-for-all massacres - and she was all too glad to have a fight to distract herself. Only a few people she’d been able to convince to stop their senseless violence and go help the Inquisition. For Ena, if she was able to save even just one life, her persistence was well worth it.

 

When she wasn’t able to, fighting was simple. Her opponent was trying to kill her. She didn’t want to die. So she fought back to protect herself. Sometimes she got injured, but she hadn’t lost yet. She planned on keeping it that way.

 

Haven came into view as they rounded the pathway late one day and Varric slouched forward on his horse. “Back to the world of, as Ivy put it so poetically, halla piss.”

 

Aravae stated the obvious. “Then don’t drink it. I’m not going to.”

 

“But it’s better than drinking nothing,” he protested.

 

“Then stop complaining,” Cassandra grumbled.

 

“What? If I didn’t complain, you’d forget about me, Seeker.”

 

“You’re quite a hard person to forget, Varric.” She tossed a glance over her shoulder at him.

 

He tenderly touched his chest with his hand, a dopey grin on his face. “Aww, so you’re saying you’d remember me if I left? That makes me feel all warm inside.”

 

Cassandra tsked in disgust. She then looked to Ena. “Have you come to a decision?”

 

Her insides twisted just thinking about it. Her shoulders sagged and she dropped her head a little. “I’ll sleep on it. I’ll let you know at the council tomorrow.”

 

Cassandra nodded, but gave her a compassionate gaze. “I’m sorry. It’s not fair to you, putting all the weight of the decision on you.”

 

“That’s not true.” Ena drew forth a smile. “You’ve all weighed in very much and it’s been valuable insight.”

 

“You are still having to decide since we all only squabble amongst ourselves.”

 

“It’s okay, Cassandra. I just...don’t want to make the wrong decision and have it blow up in our faces.” It was only one of many concerns Ena had, but it was the only one she felt she needed to voice.

 

“There’s really no wrong decision,” Solas inputted. “And it isn’t quite a lesser of two evils, but…”

 

“Nah, it kind of is,” Varric said.

 

Ena looked to the one person that hadn’t spoken up yet. Aravae was listening, but her gaze seemed to be farther off than the conversation. Ena inquired, “What do you think?”

 

Blinking once or twice, Aravae focused on Ena. “Unfortunately, I agree with Varric. As you well know, each side has its pros and its cons. It’s most definitely...difficult to choose one. I would say to just trust your gut. Has it ever been wrong before?”

 

“I’m...sure it has, but I see what you’re saying.” Ena tightened her lips. “Thanks. I’ll have my answer for you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for being so late! Last weekend was moving weekend and I have remained all too busy since then. However, with my nice new setup in my new home with my fiance, I am all too ready to pump out more writing! 
> 
> Thank you as always to everyone that reads this, especially those of you who have bookmarked it to follow and those who have left kudos, whether you used a guest account or not! Every kudos means the world to me and is incredible inspiration.
> 
> I promise to try and do better and work on catching up to updating on my usual day. It probably won't happen this upcoming week, but I will do my best. As always, any questions or comments, please leave them for me below! I'd love to talk with you guys. Don't wanna do it here? Don't forget about my Tumblr, where I am located under the exact same username. See you guys soon and hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

To say that Redcliffe was in a dire situation was underwhelming. Upon their arrival, the company had fought their way through a peculiar rift that warped time around it, which was, to say the least, extremely troubling. Then to find out that their arrival was completely shocking to the residents and the mages… Ena figured perhaps Fiona just wanted to keep the meeting quiet so that everyone didn’t get riled up. However, once they met with her and the Tevinter Magister named Alexius, things only got more complicated from there. Ena attempted speaking with him, but he offered no clues or indications as to what was happening. It didn’t take long before they were interrupted by his son, Felix, and Ena received the alarming note the sickly young man had passed along quietly. Before they fully departed, Alexius offered for Ena to return the following day to the castle for them to continue their discussion.

 

She didn’t like this one bit. After going to the village’s chantry, closing the rift, and meeting the curiously colorful character that was Dorian Pavus, also of Tevinter, the day only spiraled down into confusion even more. Time magic, the Venatori, and numerous other things. She was glad when Cassandra suggested they spend the night outside of the village, though they could have arranged to stay at the inn. She wanted to be outside, away from people, under the stars where she could think. She also knew she needed to get Aravae out of there. When the words ‘indentured servants’ came up in the topic, implying slavery, she could see and hear the small sparks of electricity coming off of Aravae’s body, hinting at her underlying fury. She was just glad that Aravae didn’t lunge at Alexius. Aravae wasn’t typically a violent individual, but when she grew angry...she was angry.

 

After they walked a short distance away from Redcliffe, they pitched their tents. Cassandra went about writing a report to send off to Leliana and Cullen, via a bird they’d picked up from one of the scouts in town. At one point, the warrior woman asked Ena what she was thinking they should do, but Ena wasn’t ready to answer that. She just shook her head and said, “I’d like to wait and see what they have to say.”

 

Once they were mostly settled in for the evening, Ena found a nearby tree and quickly scaled it, climbing to the highest branch she could that would support her weight. She leaned her back against the main body and peered up through the foliage at the stars. She traced their shapes in the sky, trying to relax as she did so. 

 

When she heard faint chuckling coming from around the fire, she glanced down to look. Varric appeared to be telling another story, as usual. Aravae and Solas both had small grins on their faces while Cassandra, while shaking her head, seemed to be holding back, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards ever so slightly. After a few more moments, she saw Aravae take a moment to pull away from the conversation and glance up towards her in the tree, her eyes asking silently if she was okay. Ena nodded with a faint, tired smile, and though she didn’t look fully convinced, Aravae put her attention back to Varric.

 

Ena truly treasured Aravae’s friendship and guidance. She wasn’t lying when she said that she reminded her of Solas, though. Looking at them close to each other at the fire, she felt a small twinge in her chest. They were both taller than average elves - at least the Dalish; Ena hadn’t been around many city elves. They both lived previously out in the wilds, away from others. When they spoke elvish, they had a different dialect. Again, she could be reading too much into it since she wasn’t sure how city elves’ dialects and accents sounded. Theirs just felt  _ older _ , more wise, more intellectual. Aravae also would occasionally speak words Ena didn’t recognize, but since the Dalish woman was more interested in learning it, she never really thought to dig and ask how Aravae learned these things. At the same time, Aravae was always very reluctant to talk about her past. All Ena knew was that she lost someone - two someones - that were very dear to her. Sensing the heaviness behind it, Ena didn’t want to push. If she ever wanted to talk about it, she knew Ena would listen.

 

Solas seemed to carry himself with a similar sadness. They both always seemed to be looking past those in front of them, to something they could barely see, but unable to grasp, like sanding slipping between fingers. Ena desperately wanted to ask more questions, especially to Solas, but the few times she had, he would answer in an incredibly roundabout way and fluently shift the conversation. What answers she was able to pull from them, they were incredibly vague in actual details. 

 

Though she was frustrated that he wouldn’t offer up more, she couldn’t help but feel enraptured by his own stories and experiences with the Fade and spirits and the like. She could feel his enthusiasm rolling off in waves when he taught her things, so it only want to made her ask more, but once he realized how much he was speaking, he would occasionally withdraw. Not only did she like listening to his stories, but she really enjoyed just listening to  _ him _ . The way he spoke felt so poetic, almost as though he always had a rhythm to how he talked.  _ His voice is definitely easy on the ears, too… _

 

Ena flushed for a moment at herself, turning her eyes back up to the sky. Wait...was her heart beating faster?  _ What the hell? _ she thought to herself.  _ What the hell are you thinking? Here’s just here to help seal the Breach, then he will probably leave afterwards, you know that. Why are you thinking like that? It’ll only complicate things. Stop it. Stop it. _

 

Once she was able to shake the thoughts from her head, she climbed out of the tree to join them around the fire, placing herself between Aravae and Cassandra.

 

* * *

 

 

In the early afternoon of the next day, a bird was brought to their camp by another scout, bearing the return from Leliana and Cullen. As Cassandra read it aloud, Ena could only imagine how much debate had gone into it. The letter was relatively long, offering selected routes they could take, though Leliana strongly advised sneaking some of her scouts through escape tunnels for the royal family in Redcliffe’s tower to assist them, since her going to speak with Alexius was undoubtedly a trap for Ena. However, while Leliana felt her plan was the most sound, she also pointed out it would make Ena have to play the role of bait.

 

The group held their own rather heated discussion, trying to come up with something better. However, in the end, Ena insisted on going through with Leliana’s suggestion. It required only her to be bait and it posed the lowest amount of risk. She didn’t want anyone else to take any risks, especially not if it was a trap intended for her and her alone. Once they agreed begrudgingly, Aravae clapped Ena on the shoulder. “I don’t really like this, but I’m with you. I’ll watch your back, I promise.”

 

“I know you will.” Ena smiled and covered Aravae’s hand with her own. She added a small squeeze for reassurance. She knew how serious Aravae treated promises. The mage woman even laughed once, saying she knew it seemed childish, but she always believed a person’s word or promise should be the highest sign of trust. Ena wanted to agree, but she had met one too many low-lifes in her time to fully consent to that statement. She wanted it to be true, but the cruelty of the world didn’t let it be. Except with Aravae.

 

Cassandra had a scout send word to Dorian and Fiona. They waited until it was verified that word of the plan had been passed along and that Dorian replied that he would meet the scouts at the tunnels in order to help before they moved out. They took their time getting out to the castle, Fiona joining them, to ensure that Leliana’s people had enough time to get set up and get through the tunnels. Once they got to the doors and they swung open, Ena took a deep breath, calming her nerves.

 

They were stopped abruptly at the foyer, a man insisting that only the Herald of Andraste could be seen by Alexius. Though she panicked for a moment, Ena kept her wits. Boldly, she announced, “Fine. They can remain here. However, I will remain here with them.”

 

The man’s face twisted with displeasure, but Alexius's voice rang out, “It is fine. Come, let the Herald and her company pass.”

 

Hesitantly, the group followed behind the man and up to where Alexius sat upon the throne of where the Arl of Redcliffe should have been. A grin slowly crept to his lips as he all but sprang from his seat, addressing only Ena. “My friend! Thank you for coming, it’s good to see you again.” As if acting like he’d only just seen them, he gestured nonchalantly towards the others. “And your...associates, of course.” He cleared his throat and his grin turned sly, matching his tone. “I’m sure we can work out some arrangement that is...equitable to all parties.”

 

Fiona stepped forward and hissed, “Are we mages to have no voice in deciding our fate?”

 

Alexius tutted, as though he were speaking to a child. “Ah, Fiona. You would not have turned your followers over to my care if you did not trust me with their lives.”

 

Ena’s nostrils flared while she thought for a moment. While wearing the sweetest smile she could conjure, she said, “If the Grand Enchanter wants to be a part of these talks, then I would welcome her as a guest of the Inquisition.”

 

Fiona looked to Ena, nodding appreciatively. “Thank you.”

 

Alexius scowled, looking irritated with Ena’s decision. For a moment, she thought he may entirely reject it or question it. However, all he did was turn his back and stride back to the small throne, lowering himself back down on it. She could sense he was attempting to display that he had the authority at the moment, but she refused to let him have it. When he spoke next, he sounded as though he were struggling to remain level and calm. “The  _ Inquisition _ needs mages to close the Breach. I have them. So, what shall  _ you _ offer  _ me  _ in exchange?”   
  


The silence stretched for a moment, Ena seeing the scouts approaching silently in her peripheral. Still retaining her smile, she tilted her head and furrowed her brows, trying to look interested. “I’d much rather discuss your time magic. It’s really quite...bewildering, especially to someone who isn’t a mage.”

 

Naturally, Alexius replied, “I’m afraid I have no idea what you mean.”

 

Surprisingly, it was Felix who spoke up next from his father’s side. “They know everything, Father.”

 

Alexius's eyes widened with shock, then narrowed in disappointment. “Felix...what have you done?”

 

Not wanting to put the pressure on Felix, Ena redirected the attention back to herself. She spoke more forcefully. “You wanted me here, Alexius. Why?”

 

Thankfully, Alexius took the bait. He sat up straight, eyes now flashing with rage. “Do you know what you are?” He stood and took a few threatening strides towards them. “You walk into  _ my  _ stronghold with your stolen mark - a gift you don’t even understand - and you think  _ you’re _ in control?!” He let that hang for a moment before spitting venomously, “You’re nothing but a mistake.”

 

She could feel the tension growing and Ena refused to let Alexius's words get to her. “If you know so much, please enlighten me. Tell me what the mark is for.”

 

Alexius scoffed and threw his hand in the air. “It belongs to your betters. You wouldn’t even be able to begin to understand its purpose.”

 

Felix stepped forward, his voice desperate. “Father, listen to yourself! Do you know what you sound like?”

 

At that moment, Dorian stepped from the shadows. “He sounds exactly like the sort of villainous cliche everyone expects us from Tevinter to be.”

 

Alexius took a step back, his face scrunched. He growled lowly. “Dorian. I gave you a chance to be a part of this. You turned me down.” He took a breath, regaining his composure. “The Elder One has power you would not believe. He will raise the Imperium from its own ashes.”

 

Ena clutched to that bit of information, leaning forward. “That’s who you serve? This Elder One? Is he the one who killed the Divine? Is he a mage?”  _ Give me anything, something to go on… _

 

Alexius grinned sadistically. “Soon...he will become a god. He will make the world bow to mages once more. We will rule from the Boeric Ocean to the Frozen Seas.”

 

Ena restrained her sigh of relief. She did get something. Someone who wasn’t a mage wouldn’t rise mages to the top of the world. From her side, Fiona shouted, “You can’t involve my people in this!”

 

Dorian nodded and changed his tone, pleading for the Magister to see reason, stepping up beside of Ena. “Alexius, this is exactly what you and I talked about  _ never _ wanting to happen. Why would you support this?”

 

Alexius turned his back, but Felix didn’t give him a chance to collect his thoughts. “Stop it, Father. Give up the Venatori. Let the southern mages fight the Breach and let’s go home. Please.”

 

“No!” Alexius spun around, grabbing his son by the shoulders. “It’s the only way, Felix. He can save you!”

 

“Save me?”

 

Ena worried for a split moment. Felix sounded full of disbelief, but there was a hint of hope in his voice. Alexius's voice and mannerisms grew softer. “There is a way. The Elder One promised. If I undo the mistake at the temple…”

 

Felix frowned. “I’m going to die, Father. You  _ need  _ to accept that.”

 

The rage returned and Alexius waved a hand. “Seize them, Venatori! The Elder One demands this woman’s life!”

 

The men never moved. The Inquisition scouts leaped forward and quickly slit their throats. Blood spilled onto the floor, the bodies falling into the quickly forming pools. Ena’s breath caught and she closed her eyes for a split second. She took a few deep breaths and said soothingly, “Your men are dead, Alexius. Please, just give this up. No more need to die.”

 

Instead of the man sagging his shoulders forth and accepting defeat, he bellowed furiously, “You are a  _ mistake _ ! You  _ never _ should have existed!!” He pulled forth an amulet and began pouring magic into it.

 

Dorian cried out and sent a blast of his own magic towards the Magister, attempting to stop him. Whatever he attempted backfired as the amulet flew from Alexius's hand and towards Ena and Dorian. For a moment, a large visible, swirling aura of magic appeared, swallowed up the Dalish and the Tevinter, then vanished.

 

Aravae’s heart plummeted into her stomach, frozen in her spot. She’d just barely gotten her hands around her staff, ready to cast a barrier around Ena in order to protect her, but she had moved too slow. She was gone. Dorian, too. She could see her world turning red at she looked to the Magister. His face looked momentarily astonished, then concerned, but he shifted into a maniacal grin, raising his head to laugh. Behind him, Felix gaped in horror. 

 

“What did you do to her?!” Cassandra roared, drawing her weapons.

 

Aravae began to lean forward, more than ready to beat answers out of the cackling Magister, but Solas reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back. “Wait. No. Cassandra, we need to leave.”

 

Clearly, the woman either did not hear him or refused to listen as she stepped forward. As he took a gasping breath, Alexius answered gleefully, “I have destroyed the Herald! I have removed her from existence! She will foil the Elder One’s plans no longer!” He ran up and grabbed his staff that had been leaning on the backside of the throne. He wrapped a barrier around himself and Felix, continuing on his rant. “Your quest to close the Breach is at an end! Your lives are at an end! The rest of the Venatori will be here momentarily and you will be at my mercy!”

 

Solas barked, “Cassandra,  _ now _ !”

 

The woman growled, but when Varric went up to tug on her arm, she snapped out of it and turned on her heel and raced for the door. Solas gripped Aravae’s wrist painfully tight and yanked her back, forcing her to run along with them. They could hear Alexius's insane laughter behind them as they raced for the exit.

 

Thankfully, they only had to fight their way through a small number of the Venatori cult before getting outside Redcliffe castle. The villagers seemed alarmed at the group rushing through, weapons still in hand, blood on their clothes. Most of the scouts were behind them and whatever ones that were left in Redcliffe sensed the urgency and followed after them. Only when they made it outside the gates did they even pause for breath. Varric turned and looked at the faces among them, wheezing to catch his breath. “Shit. Fiona didn’t follow us.”

 

“Lady Cassandra...what happened?” One of the scouts from the village asked timidly. “Where is the Herald?”

 

The woman stuck her sword in the ground and punched the nearest object she could find, which was a small boulder. She swore colorfully as she shook out the pain in her hand. She leaned against it, swallowing thickly. “The Herald...is dead,” she choked out.

 

A collective, shocked gasp went through those present that hadn’t witnessed it. The one who had asked opened his mouth, as if tempted to ask another question, but he looked to the others who had been present and he slowly closed it again. Varric leaned over, hands on his knees, murmuring, “Shit. Shit,” over and over again.

 

Aravae, though as short of breath as the others and her knees shook, paced after yanking her aching wrist from Solas’s grasp. Her mind was racing, yet it felt blank. She couldn’t get a solid grasp on the situation. Ena  _ couldn’t _ be dead. There was no way. Perhaps she was just transported with that Dorian fellow somewhere? She couldn’t be sure. It wasn’t any kind of magic she was familiar with. She was pretty certain Solas wasn’t either.

 

All that mattered was that she failed. She failed Ena. She had sworn to protect her, to watch her back. She had been  _ right there _ and she had screwed it up. Her chest tightened painfully, which only made it harder to catch her breath. She stumbled, her knees buckling under her, but she caught herself, though Solas stepped forward to help. She swung her arms away from him, faltering a little more, and paced away from him. She could feel the tears building, but she didn’t want to let them fall. Not around the others. She refused to.

 

“Aravae…,” Solas began softly.

 

“Don’t,” she snapped quickly, small sparks of electricity shooting from her. She felt regret the moment the words left her. He was only trying to help, she knew that, but she didn’t want comfort right now. Comfort meant accepting that Ena was dead. She couldn’t be. “Please, just...don’t.”

 

He held his hands up in a calming manner, as one would to try and soothe a wild beast. “I know it’s hard, but you need to calm down.”

 

“Calm...down?” Aravae repeated slowly, then chuckled humorlessly. “She was right in front of me, Solas! I could have nearly reached out and grabbed her, she was so close. How could I have let this happen?!” She could feel the tears threatening to overflow, but she held them back. She spun around and looked Solas in his conflicted blue eyes. “I let her down.”

 

“You did not such thing,” he replied harshly. He dared to take a step closer. “What happened was out of anyone’s control.”

 

“ _ Even yours _ ?” she asked softly in elvish, fighting to take deep breaths past the lump in her throat.

 

“ _ Even mine, regretfully _ ,” he whispered, his eyes downcast.

 

“ _ What do we do now, Solas? _ ”

 

Their eyes locked. They both knew the only reason they had been at the Inquisition was because of Ena. They only remained there because of her. With her gone, should they go off in pursuit of Solas’s original plan to tear down the Veil? Or should they remain and help fight Alexius and this Elder One? Aravae could see Solas was straining to think of a plan, but he needed time for that. “ _ For now, let us remain with them. We need rest, first. _ ”

 

“Ma nuvenin.”

 

They returned their attentions to the other behind them. Cassandra was holding her hand still in pain, but she was looming over Varric’s shoulder as he wrote a message, assumingly to the others at Haven. She nodded as he finished and he handed it to a scout, who stepped away to secure it to a bird. They all watched as it flew off, bearing the heavy weight of the letter. Cassandra sighed and slouched forward for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She stood upright and ordered, “The majority of you remain here, keep an eye on Redcliffe, but be cautious. Mind your distance. We need to keep an eye on this situation above all else, aside from the rifts and the Breach. The rest of you, see if you can uncover any more information about this Elder One. It sounds like he is a mage from Tevinter, so start there. Varric, Aravae, Solas, and I...will return to Haven.”

 

It took a few seconds, but the scouts raised their arms up in a salute and nodded their heads. They only mumbled, “Ma’am,” as they scattered. 

 

_ That is truly what the loss of hope looks like, _ Aravae thought darkly.

 

* * *

 

They ended up remaining with the Inquisition. The situation in Redcliffe only spiraled out of control from that day. Aravae still held out hope that Ena had survived somehow, but with each passing week, her hope extinguished a little more. From all the intel that had been gathered, they found out that the red lyrium that they had been seeing was now being used for ingesting. Alexius was giving it to the mages and it did nothing short of turning them into monsters. Aravae and the others had gone out into the field and clashed with them from time to time, trying to learn more. The elvhen woman left it to the researchers mostly. All she knew was when she was around the stuff, it made her head hurt and her insides queasy.

 

With Ena’s presence gone, so was the only way to seal the rifts. Solas attempted time and again to find another solution to closing them, but he had yet to succeed. It had been four months. The Breach expanded ominously above their heads. In the beginning, while the sky seemed green and stormy constantly only in the area near the Breach, at least blue sky could be seen in the distance. It had been at least a week since Aravae had last spotted any. The Breach was swallowing the sky.

 

She didn’t have the guts to write to the Lavellan Clan. She couldn’t tell the Keeper that Ena was assumed dead. Not after all they - well, really, just she - had done for her. She promised upon leaving that she would return Ena to them in one piece. Now she didn’t even have any effects to send them. More than once, they had received letters, but when Josephine brought it to her attention, she took them and burned them. 

 

During the months, she clung to Solas, trying to help him in any way she could. He had apparently reached out to his agents to try and locate the Elder One. Aravae felt that Solas knew something about this person, but when she asked, she saw the clench of his jaw and the hardening in his eyes. He had refused to answer. He had started to revert back to the slightly colder man she had originally met, shutting nearly everyone else out while remaining polite and steady to the cause.

 

When the news came that this Elder One had taken over and corrupted the Templar Order, it was the final straw. It had been Leliana who brought the news to them in Aravae’s cabin, where Solas slept more often now, stony faced and chilled as ice. Once she left, Aravae roared in frustration and slammed her fists down on the table. Solas remained unmoving as she did so. Hot tears of rage slid down Aravae’s cheeks as she whirled to him. “Start. Talking. Now.”

 

His brows furrowed, “What-?”

 

“The Elder One. Who is he? Stop playing dumb with me. I know you’ve been tip-toeing around it and I’ve not pushed. Well, I’m tired and I’m pushing now. Talk to me.” Her short burst quickly shifted into sorrow. “Confide in me, like you used to.” When he looked quickly to the door, expression slightly panicked, she snapped, “Stop. If they find out now who you are, they find out. Your powers have been growing by the day, I can tell. Mine are only a little stronger, but our difference in strength is incredible enough. If they know you can help, they aren’t going to shut you out.”

 

Several expressions crossed Solas’s face before defeat finally won out. “He is an ancient Tevinter Magister...who has apparently learned the skill to come back from the dead.”

 

Aravae froze as she was wiping her tears. “...Sorry, come again? Wait. You said you gave your orb to a dark Magister. Is this who you were talking about?”

 

He nodded slowly.

 

Aravae exhaled shakily, rubbing her eyes. “...Damn, Solas. What have we stumbled into?”

 

From his position across the table, Solas’s shoulders sagged heavily, a shadow falling across his face. “It’s entirely my fault. I have caused...all of this. If I hadn’t been so hasty…”

 

“No, no, stop. Blaming yourself now isn’t going to help anything. How can we help? How can we stop him?”

 

Solas smiled stiffly. “How can you stay by my side after all of this? I caused the downfall of our people. Now, I cause the downfall of the world. Your debt to me was paid long, long ago.”

 

Aravae was so stunned, she felt like she had been slapped. Her back pushed painfully against the backside of the chair. She stood up and stomped to the other side. He refused to look up at her, but his forbidding grin didn’t fall away from his lips. He seemed paralyzed in his state of disbelief. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck, her hair showering down both of them. New tears formed and dampened his shoulder as she buried her face there. “You idiot,” she choked. “I didn’t stay with you for so long because of a debt. I stayed because you’re my best friend.”

 

She felt him tense for several long moments before shifting in his seat. He slowly stood up and wrapped one arm around her back and the other cradled the back of her head. He squeezed her tightly. “Ma serannas...asa’ma’lin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Look, I gained two days! See, I can do this...I can do this. I can catch back up! I was also going to end this a bit further ahead, but typing up the scenario with Alexius really stacked up my page count this time. Sorry if you found that part a bit boring since I'm sure we've all played through the game a million times. However, a good exercise for me is watching a playthrough and both working on describing it as well as changing a few details to how I personally feel it would have made a bigger impact. Gotta work on different skills somehow!
> 
> Thank you all so much for your awesome comments and kudos and holy smokes, we're inches away from 300 hits! I'm so excited. >.< This wouldn't be possible without you all and your support! As always, please comment if you have any questions or just want to chat! Thank you for our fascinating discussion so far, Draco - I'm really enjoying it. :)
> 
> Also thanks to Project Elvhen by FenxShiral and their awesome take on the elvish language. I borrowed the term Solas uses right at the end:
> 
> Asa'ma'lin - sister (lit.: 'her blood is mine') ((But naturally, Solas is using in a figurative way))
> 
> See you all at the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Torture and rape in this chapter! Proceed with caution.

It was another month before Aravae was jerked from her sleep early one morning. She frowned drowsily at Solas as he went ahead and stepped away from her, dressing in a frenzy. “Quickly. There’s an attack coming.”

 

That threw any grogginess out the window as Aravae jumped out of bed, pulling on her armor. She snatched her staff and the two ran outside, trying to not get swept up in the panicking villagers that were running for the chantry or the soldiers that were gathering at the front gate. Solas laced his fingers around Aravae’s and held tight so they wouldn’t get separated. Spotting Cullen, Solas cut a path for them to get to him. “Commander! What’s happening?”

 

“I’ve got several guards reporting that a massive force of the red Templars and mages are nearing. Alexius is at the front. They haven’t cleared the nearest peak yet, giving us just a little time to prepare.” Cullen ran a hand through his curly locks, clearly having been torn from what little sleep he’d been getting. “Haven isn’t a fortress. We’ve done what we can with fortifications, but between the constant battle with the demons…”

 

“There’s no time to evacuate the civilians...is there?” Aravae asked as softly as she could so that the passerby wouldn’t hear.

 

“Through these mountains? Highly unlikely. They’d be hunted down quickly, like animals.”

 

“Not even with Leliana’s people helping?”

 

“We need every able-bodied person here.”

 

The dread began to settle into Aravae’s stomach. “...That large a force?”

 

He nodded grimly. While he had a moment, he barked orders at the soldiers. Once he did, he looked back at the two mages. “Honestly, I’m not certain we can survive this.”

 

Solas’s grip tightened on Aravae’s hand. He narrowed his eyes with determination. “All we can do is fight. Where do you need us, Commander?”

 

Soon the two were running along the edge of Haven, laying some glyphs for traps and using a few spells of strengthening that Solas knew. At one point, when they were nearly alone, Solas took a moment to say, “I want you to go, Aravae.”

 

Without missing a beat, Aravae finished her spell and scoffed. “I already knew you were going to say that. There’s no way. I’m staying right by your side until the very end. You’re all I have left.” Her voice cracked a little as she whispered, “Ena’s dead.”

 

Solas looked at Aravae with deep sorrow. Aravae was a woman who had lost much. First her husband and daughter. Then she grew close with people in his resistance as Fen’harel. Nearly all of them died. Whoever hadn’t perished was long gone after Solas created the Veil. She awoke in a strange land and befriended a Dalish woman. A woman who Aravae had treated as a younger sister. She had been ripped from Aravae’s hands as quickly as all the rest. She was now accepting that those in the village were now going to perish. Varric and his heroic tales. Cassandra and her steadfast bravery. Cullen and his dedicated loyalty. Leliana and her tireless efforts. Adan, Flissa, Harritt, Lysette, even Seggrit. He knew Aravae had tried to cut herself off from caring too much, suspecting this day would come, but she couldn’t help herself. Her heart was too big, no matter what kind of a front she put on.

 

Still, after all this, one thing that never wavered was her stubbornness. He wanted to protest, to plead, to _beg_ her to flee, to find a way to survive, but he knew she wouldn’t listen. Instead, he stepped forward and planted a gentle kiss on her brow. “Stay close.”

 

“Like a shadow,” she agreed more steadily, giving him a faint smile.

 

The battle finally began with the trebuchets. Cullen’s plan was to attempt to bury as many as possible in avalanches. To an extent, it worked. However, the force was too large to be entirely undone by their efforts. When Aravae spotted Alexius, smug and mad, standing on a rise on the mountain, the Templars and mages charging forth, she snarled, ready to tear the man apart. She wanted to fry his body with her electricity until there was nothing left of him.

 

One enemy at a time.

 

When the forces finally clashed, sword on shield, Aravae and Solas remained glued by each other’s sides. They and the other mages with them threw up barriers to help protect the frontline fighters, set up walls of fire and ice to block further advancements, glyphs to ensnare their opponents, anything they could. Aravae began panting and sweating before Solas and reached for a lyrium potion at her waist. A moment of paranoia forced her to ensure the bottle was blue, not red, before she down it and tossed it aside.

 

“Ease up for the moment, Aravae. Focus on barriers,” Solas called over the roar of the fighting.

 

Caught up in the rush of adrenaline from the battle and perhaps in an instant of madness, Aravae no longer cared who heard when she said, “Almost just like old times. Only our odds currently are slightly less favorable.”

 

Aravae was surprised to hear Solas reply, “I would say a little higher than slightly.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

“Considering that now it isn’t battles about who is the stronger mage, yes. Not to mention, there is the smiting ability to have to worry about now.”

 

“Yes, I suppose there is that…”

 

“Hold them back!” they heard Cullen bellow from some distance away. Aravae dared to look for him or for where he was specifically shouting at. On the other side, the frontline was beginning to collapse, the red Templars gaining ground. The Inquisition soldiers were struggling to keep their line. She spotted Cassandra charge over to help. Past the front advance of the red Templars, Aravae could see what she could only think to describe as a monster charging through their ranks. It was a beast of a man encased in red lyrium, towering probably eight to nine feet high. It was headed right for Cassandra’s area.

 

“I’m going to the other flank, Solas!” Aravae called, casting one last barrage of electricity at a red Templar who barely looked human anymore, then set off, shoving her way through her fellow mages. She heard Solas call her name and swear, but she knew he was following.

 

Aravae made it over as quickly as she could. She slammed her staff in the ground for support and reached out with her hand, trying to form the strongest barrier she could around the individuals who were in the monster’s path. At her side, Solas mimicked her actions, though he wrapped a barrier around the two of them, as well. With an otherworldly roar, the behemoth charged through his own rank and plowed into the Inquisition soldiers, including Cassandra. Those in its path were thrown to the ground. The line had broken.

 

A few more red Templars raced through behind the behemoth, covered in sharp shards of lyrium. They swung their arms wildly, chips of the shards flying in all directions. Aravae and Solas both cried out as they were struck, the lyrium punching through their barriers. Aravae stumbled backwards a step, but reached up to her shoulder and quickly yanked out the shrapnel. Solas pulled one from his chest and one from his right thigh before spinning around to check on Aravae. Other Inquisition soldiers were swarming, trying to regain their lost ground, but Solas only looked at Aravae. He reached a hand up and touched the side of Aravae’s head. When he pulled it back, she was confused when she saw blood on it. “You’re bleeding,” he said. “Rather badly. Hold still.”

 

“No.” She pushed his hand away again when he extended it towards her again, glowing with healing magic. “There’s plenty others that need more healing and help than me. I don’t even feel it. Really.”

 

“It’s even worse if you don’t feel a cut that bad,” he insisted. “Just let me stop the blee-”

 

“Focus, Chuckles!” Varric’s voice suddenly shouted from near them. Solas spun around and readied himself to guard with his staff when a red Templar fell to the ground just before him, several arrows sticking out of his neck and chest. The dwarf came running up from the center, cranking Bianca as quickly as he possibly could, firing round after round. With that, they turned their attention back to the fighting.

 

Slowly, they were pushed back. The snow was turning to slush under their feet, melting from all the body heat and soaked red with blood. Finally, Cullen called for a retreat into Haven. As they all ran in, they weren’t even able to get the gates fully closed before they were ripped down from other towering monsters. From there, it shifted from losing battle into a massacre.

 

Solas was pushing Aravae along ahead of him, exhaustion clear as day on his face, but he kept firing spell after spell, refusing to stop. Aravae tried to help, but she was beginning to feel confused. The ground spun under her feet and the ugly sky swung around, shifting places with the solid ground. Suddenly, she felt the familiar pressure on top of them as a Templar performed a smite. Whatever strength she had flew from her body. A heavy pit formed in her stomach as she fought to keep hold of Solas’s hand. She only remembered her face smacking into the stairs as she thought, _This is it._

 

* * *

 

A throbbing pain greeted her when she finally regained consciousness, a groan forming in the back of her hoarse throat before she even got control of her other senses yet. She heard a muffled voice from far away, but couldn’t make out who it was or what they had said. She tested her limbs first. She could move her arms, fingers...legs, toes. She slowly dared to open her eyes. It was dim, wherever she was. She was also surrounded by stone. It was unfamiliar.

 

She moaned in more pain as she forced herself to sit up. Her head pounded so fiercely, she thought her brain would crack free of her skull. It even hurt her eyes, so she closed them again tightly as she slowly rubbed her temples, trying to will away the pain. She heard the voice again. She could tell this time that it was male and he sounded panicked. It was still too quiet.

 

Opening her eyes again after a moment, she further examined her surroundings. Yes, she was surrounded by stone, but that was on three sides. The fourth was iron bars. She was in a cell. Judging by the goosebumps forming on her skin, she assumed it was underground. It was perhaps seven by four feet or so. Why was she alive? Why wasn’t she dead?

 

She didn’t want to try standing yet, but her hearing slowly returned to her as she listened to the crackling of the few torches lit and the faint drip of water in a puddle. “Hello?” she croaked.

 

The voice sighed in relief. It sounded like it was just on the other side of the wall beside her. “Aravae. Finally, you’re awake.”

 

Her heart sped up. “Solas? What…?”

 

“Are you okay?” he asked quickly. “Are you hurt?”

 

She examined herself further. She reached up and touched her scalp, where she vaguely remembered she had been struck during the battle. “Just my head,” she confirmed. “What about you? Are you alright? And the others?”

 

“I’m fine. As for the others… I’m not sure if they all made it. I haven’t seen any of them since we were brought here.”

 

“Here?” Aravae remembered the quick moment when she had spotted Alexius on the battlefield. “We’re in Redcliffe, aren’t we?”

 

“Yes,” he confirmed.

 

“Why didn’t they just kill us?”

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

Aravae slid herself along the floor and propped herself against the wall that was closest to Solas. She hissed through her teeth as her headache pounded on. “Damn it. This isn’t...how it was supposed to happen.” She tilted her head downwards and clenched her hands into fists on the cold floor. “I was supposed to finally die.”

 

It was silent, Aravae’s words so soft, they didn’t even bounce off the walls. Solas at last whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

 

Aravae laughed bitterly. “You’re not even going to give me a speech? I could use one. There’s still more to life and all that.”

 

“There are worse things than dying, asa’ma’lin. I fear we will see what is yet to come.”

 

“As punishment to defying Corypheus, we get to watch the world burn? Haven’t we seen it already with his army and assassinating the Empress of Orlais?”

 

“I feel that is only a preview.”

 

“Fantastic. Well...how long was I out? How long did it take to get here?”

 

Solas sounded strained as he tried to think. “They kept us subdued essentially the entire time. They didn’t want to risk us being able to use magic, so I’m not entirely positive. All I know is every time I saw you, you were still unconscious. There was so much blood on your face, I…”

 

“I’m okay, Solas. Well, as okay as I can be. At least I’m in here with you. Maybe we can find a way to get out of here.”

 

“...Maybe.”

 

For the first few weeks, they were given water and one measly roll of bread to nibble on for days at a time. They never saw any of their other companions, but they most definitely heard some of them. Screams would echo down into the cells where they were. It sent violent shudders down through their very beings and every time they heard the screams finally stop, they feared that whoever it had been had died. They’d heard Cassandra and Leliana the most, Cullen and Varric on occasion.

 

Aravae spent most of her time balled up in a corner of her cell, her knees pulled up to her chest, her face buried in them, her arms wrapped around her legs. She couldn’t stand it in the dark, cold cell, listening to the torture of her friends. Solas, though as disturbed and concerned as her, attempted to comfort her with old songs from their time. His voice sounded more weary with each passing day. Aravae never spoke it aloud, but she wondered when their time for torture was coming. Why would they be spared, a couple of knife-ears?

 

At one point, they went several days, perhaps nearly a week, before they saw sign of another Venatori. Accompanying them this time was a Templar, grinning with a dark smile behind his helm. The four of them marched in and stopped in the space between the cells, looking back and forth between Aravae and Solas.

 

“Well, well, rabbits… Who feels like playing today?” one of the Venatori asked smugly.

 

“The she-rabbit still has a little bit of meat on her bones. I say we take her for a spin first.”

 

Solas jumped up and walked up to the bars. “Leave her alone. Take me.”

 

Laughter echoed in the room as Aravae trembled slightly. “What’s this, boys? I’d say this knife-ear has a soft spot for the girl here!” The one speaking hooked a thumb between his breeches and his skin. “I think we could have a bit of fun with this, what do you say?”

 

“Let’s do as the Elder One said, first. _Then_ we can have some fun.” The Templar chuckled lewdly. He pulled his sword from its sheath and tapped it on Aravae’s cell bars. “Now listen up, rabbit. Play nice and I won’t have to smite you until there’s nothing left, y’hear? Any sign of magic, any sign of any...resistance, and I will give you the most merciless smite you’ve ever felt. Am I making myself clear?” When she glared back at him in defiance, he kicked the bars and yelled, “I asked you a question!”

 

“I hear you,” Aravae growled. “I’m not deaf.”

 

“She still has spunk. That’s good.” One of the Venatori stepped forward and opened her cell. “Out.”

 

She stood slowly and made her way to the exit. Once she was out, two of them each grabbed an arm with bruising strength. She glanced quickly over her shoulder, trying to steal a look at Solas. She barely saw him before they pulled her upstairs. His face, which was looking paler and much, much thinner than normal, was contorted in an ugly rage she had never seen before. She tried to send him a reassuring look, but she knew it didn’t work. She heard him swear and hit the bars before she could hear no more.

 

They didn’t take her far. They took her only up the one level and down a long hallway. They forced her into a room where there was a long slab of stone for a table, straps attached to it. As she looked around wildly, she could see numerous chains, manacles, knives, scissors, any other number of sharp objects, but the most disturbing thing was how there was blood on the table. It didn’t look dried yet. They released her by pushing her forward. Templar gestured with his sword. “Go on. Lay down.”

 

Aravae hesitated, eyeing the blood, terrible thoughts rushing through her mind. What if it was Cassandra’s? Varric’s? Any of the other’s? It could even be someone that she didn’t know, but the fact was that whoever it was still suffered. And recently, at that. A sharp blow on the back of her head sent her sprawling forward. She barely caught the edge of the stone table with her hands, preventing her face from crashing into it. Not giving her a chance to recover, the Templar grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled, forcing her up to her feet while she bit her lip to prevent crying out. He brought her ear close to his mouth and whispered, “I said get on the table.”

 

He shoved her forward and let go, sending her stumbling to the table. With a fierce expression directed at him, she slowly sat on it, laying her head down on the end with less blood. Venatori One glided up to the side, securing her wrists in the straps and tightening one over her chest. Once he finished with her ankles, he leaned over her face and purred, “Good rabbit.”

 

Gathering whatever saliva she had, she spat in his face. He jumped back with a disgusted grunt. He wiped it off with his sleeve and then immediately backhanded her. Her head snapped to the side, her cheek stinging painfully.

 

Venatori Two pushed One back before stepping forward with a small knife. “Yes, I think we’ll have a good amount of fun with you. First, rabbit, we have some questions for you. They come directly from the Elder One, so I’d suggest answering them.”

 

The questions were repetitive. Did she know the one they had so ignorantly called the Herald of Andraste? Perhaps. That got her another slap.

 

How did the Herald know about the sacrifice at the temple? What sacrifice? They took the knife and put a small, but painful, slice in her upper arm.

 

Did she believe in the Maker or the gods that the knife-ears worshipped? She didn’t believe in anything. No blow came.

 

“Well, that’s good. But now you will believe in the Elder One, for he has killed the Maker and he is the only god now. Say it.”

 

Aravae not only had the nerve to scoff, but actually laugh a little. “Over my dead body,” she challenged.

 

“As much as I would love to arrange that,” said Venatori Three, “we can do so much better than that. We can make you hurt in ways that will make you _beg_ for death.”

 

“Do your worst.”

 

“As you wish.”

 

They continued on asking their questions, Aravae continued to give vague answers. Seeing that small blows and mediocre cuts weren’t getting them anywhere, they dragged her off the table and forced her wrists into shackles that hung well above her head. The balls of her feet barely touched the ground. They then began to crack a whip against her back. She continued catching her screams, even as hot tears began sliding down her face. The first several blows were mainly absorbed by her clothes, but as they began to tear, each strike stung more and more until her entire back felt as though it were engulfed in flames. Eventually, they stopped asking questions and just began demanding her to scream. She held out for as long as she could, but she could finally hold them in no longer. She cried out each time the whip cracked on her flesh. The Templar walked in front of her to watch her expressions. She wished with all her might that she could kill them all right now.

 

She wasn’t sure how long they went on. She didn’t even know what day it was or if it was day or night anymore. Eventually, the whip stopped. She could feel her own blood dripping down her back. The room spun each time she opened her eyes, so she just let them slide shut. Her entire body tremored from the pain. They released her from the shackles, but she didn’t have the strength to catch herself, so she fell to the floor. She could faintly hear their laughter as they took hold of her arms and dragged her away.

 

She wasn’t sure when they stopped dragging her or how long she’d been laying on the cold floor. When she finally roused, she could hear heavy, angry breathing. It hurt for her to move, so she remained still. She did crack open her eyes and saw she was back in a cell. Only this time, she was across from Solas. She could see him, his poor, thin figure, pacing in his cell, his hands wringing together anxiously. He glanced over and once he noticed Aravae’s eyes were open, he stopped and stepped forward, grabbing the bars.

 

“Aravae,” he whispered, voice soft and thick with concern. “I thought for sure you weren’t going to wake… I couldn’t even find you in the Fade.”

 

She tried to speak, but ended up coughing hoarsely, which ached her back. Clearing her throat, she said, “I’m still here.”

 

“So you are.” The faintest ghost of a small smile graced his face, but was gone almost instantly. “What… What did they do to you?”

 

“They _tried_ to break me. They failed.”

 

“Aravae…”

 

“Mostly whipped. Some cutting and blows.”

 

He growled and gripped the bars as tight as he could. “Damn them. Damn them all.”

 

“Solas?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I’m...going to try to get some more rest, but...can we try to go in the Fade?”

 

“Of course.”

 

It dragged on for months. They would drag Aravae away, find new ways to torture her, then throw her back in her cell. Only once or twice did they take Solas away. They weren’t sure who was left alive. All they knew was that it had been quite some time before they’d heard Cullen or Josephine from the rooms a floor up. Their only escape was when they were asleep, together in the Fade.

 

Their torturers enjoyed seeing Solas fume every time they’d bring Aravae back. Their ultimate pleasure was when they went into the cells, smote both of them, dragged them from their cells, and then proceeded to take turns raping Aravae right in front of Solas while forcing them both to watch each other. Once they finished, they tossed Solas back into his cell and forced several vials of red lyrium down Aravae’s throat, making sure she swallowed it. They then threw her into the cell with Solas.

 

“Now you can both be red rocks for all eternity!” They cackled, left, and never came back.

 

Aravae tried to throw up, but she couldn’t. She felt completely empty, yet she couldn’t recall a time she’d ever felt sicker to her stomach. She just felt so disgusted, she wanted to shed her skin as reptiles do. She didn’t want to feel like that. She wanted to try and forget what had just happened. She just wanted to _die_.

 

Solas dragged himself up to Aravae. He was extremely hesitant about touching her, not sure of what to do, of what he _could_ do. With a little effort, he removed his sweater and set it in his lap. Slowly, he raised his hands and touched Aravae’s shoulders. While she jerked violently, her entire body shuddering, she didn’t pull away from him. She hated herself. Even Solas’s gentle touch made her feel dirtier and sicker.

 

He helped her to sit up, then offered up his sweater. When she didn’t respond in any way, barely even looking at it, he slid it over her head, making sure to move as slow as he possibly could. He tugged it on her, hoping it would help warm her than the rags that were her clothes. He leaned against the wall and gently pulled Aravae into his lap, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

 

That was what made Aravae finally shatter into pieces. She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and buried her face in his shirt and began wailing. He set his own face downward, held her tight, and wept into her hair.

 

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for Aravae to began showing signs of the effects of being forced the red lyrium. They had watched from their cell as some of the crystallized lyrium began creeping along the walls from above and down into their dank room. She felt stiffer and weaker each day. Solas hadn’t been forced to drink any, but he was exhibiting signs from just being near her, though his were much slower. When she woke once, she found that she could no longer move her legs. Amidst her panic, Solas was right beside her the entire time. Though she began sobbing and trying to force him as far away as possible so that he didn’t crystallize like her, he refused and remained right where he was.

 

It took only a few days for actual chunks of the lyrium to form on the outer layers of her skin, though her insides had long since felt hard and solid. She felt as though she could feel her body dying, piece by piece. Solas was beginning to look worse, too. His eyes began emitting a red glow (she could never bear to ask if hers were doing the same) and his movements were growing rigid. She wanted to hurry up and die. She couldn’t stand seeing him in pain. She wanted him to die, too, so that he would be free. She wanted to see Rienmar and Estelar again. Solas could join them in the Beyond and they could all enjoy each other’s company and never be miserable again.

 

When they heard footsteps coming down one day, they weren’t sure what to expect. It had been quite some time since they had last seen another life form other than each other. Aravae didn’t even raise her head to look and see who it was. Something that grabbed her attention was that Solas jerked and held his breath, going completely still. Aravae then heard a woman gasp. She looked up.

 

Aravae wasn’t sure how to feel. She was beyond bewilderment. She was pretty certain she forgot how to breathe. She would’ve stood up if she’d been able. She was now solid lyrium up to her waist.

 

It was Ena’fen. Her friend that had perished so long ago was standing in front of her. She looked horrified. Dorian was behind her, his expression nearly identical. If she was seeing them, perhaps she was finally on death’s doorstep? No. She glanced at Solas, who was still looking at them, mouth gaping. If he was seeing it too, then…

 

“You’re alive?” Solas whispered, his voice distorted slightly from the effects of the lyrium. “We saw you die.”

 

Ena appeared to be beyond answering as she absorbed the state of her friends. She then hurried to pick the cell door open. Dorian replied gently, “The spell Alexius cast displaced us in time. We just got here...so to speak.”

 

A vocal cry escaped Aravae. Ena _hadn’t_ died! She’d just been put through a time spell! She must’ve have missed...what, close to a year? More than a year? She sobered quickly once she thought next, _And I gave up on her._

 

Since she was still leaning on Solas, she felt his heartbeat pick up as he spoke directly to Dorian. “Can you reverse the process? You could return and obviate the events of the last year. It may not be too late…”

 

Ena finally found her voice as she swung the door open. “Aravae, Solas, I… I don’t know what to say, I’m...so sorry. You’re both…,” she trailed off, sniffling. “Is there anything I can do?”

 

Aravae shook her head. “I am beyond help, ma falon. Keep your distance, you don’t want to get too close to us. We are both dying, but...if I’m understanding this right, then you can go back and undo this? So that none of this ever happened? So that everyone can be saved?”

 

“That’s what we’re going to try,” Ena assured her. “But this place… All this lyrium…”

 

“You know nothing of this world,” Solas said bluntly. “It is far worse than you understand. Alexius served his master, the Elder One. He reigns over the world now, unchallenged. His minions assassinated Empress Celene and used the chaos to invade the south. This Elder One commands an army of demons. After you stop Alexius, you must be prepared.”

 

Ena nodded with determination. “We will go back and stop all of it before it happens.”

 

Solas sighed with relief. “Good. But remember this future.” He squeezed Aravae’s shoulders with the arm he had looped around her. “It may help you prevent it. This world is an abomination. It must _never_ come to pass.”

 

“As you say. Well, we need to press on if we are to locate Alexius before he knows we’re here,” Dorian suggested with urgency. His eyes passed over Aravae, giving her a sympathetic gaze.

 

“I cannot help,” she said, stating the obvious. “I can barely even move anymore. But Solas, you can.” She moved his arm off of her. “You need to go and help them. Ensure their success.”

 

“But-”

 

“No. Leave me. You need to _go_.” Aravae pressed a quick, urgent kiss to his lips, silencing another protest he was about to voice. “Please, vhenan.”

 

Solas’s eyes widened for a moment. “I… But what about-?”

 

“Rienmar would be okay and he would even approve, I daresay.” She chuckled a little, thinking of the reaction her late husband would have, learning she’d allowed herself to move on after his passing and fall in love with the mighty Fen’harel.

 

As if not needing any further reassurance, Solas swept in, cupping her cheek, and gave her a deeper, desperate kiss. While it brought heavenly warmth to what was left of her physical body, Aravae didn’t let him linger too long. She broke off the kiss and lightly pushed on his shoulder. “Go,” she whispered.

 

He nodded and stood, the glaze of tears in his eyes. Aravae looked to Ena, who looked both shocked and sorrowful at what had just happened. Aravae bobbed her head. “Go, lethallan. Fix this.”

 

Ena swallowed thickly and promised with a shaky voice, “I will. I give you my word.”

 

That brought a smile to Aravae’s lips. “Then it’s as good as done.”

 

The Dalish woman nodded once more and rushed off with Dorian, Solas following them after glancing back one more time to look at Aravae. Once it grew silent, Aravae released a horribly trembling breath of air. She was terrified. She needed to try and be strong for them, for all of them. For herself. She allowed her eyes to slide close one last time, whispering quietly to herself, “I’m sorry for giving up on you, Ena’fen Lavellan. I hope to see you on the other side...in a better world.”

 

* * *

 

Dorian cried out and sent a blast of his own magic towards the Magister, attempting to stop him. Whatever he attempted backfired as the amulet flew from Alexius's hand and towards Ena and Dorian. For a moment, a large visible, swirling aura of magic appeared, swallowed up the Dalish and the Tevinter, then vanished. Not but a moment more, they reappeared, Ena rushed up to Alexius with daggers drawn and fury burning hot in her eyes.

 

“You’ll have to do better than that,” Dorian said with a smug grin, yet his expression appeared to be massive relief.

 

Aravae shared a glance with the others. What had just happened?

 

Alexius fell to his knees while Ena kept her daggers aimed at his throat. “You failed, Alexius. How forgiving is your Elder One?”

 

“You won,” Alexius drawled with exhaustion. “There is no point extending this charade.” He looked to his son. “Felix…”

 

The man walked over and knelt beside him. “It’s going to be alright, Father.”

 

“You’ll die,” he said brokenly.

 

“Everyone dies.”

 

Ena snarled. “You will pay for what you’ve done.” She gestured and a few of the Inquisition scouts ran over, binding Alexius’s wrists. They started to take him away, Felix following behind them after giving a grateful nod to both Ena and Dorian.

 

The mage man sighed happily and secured his staff to his back. “Well, I’m glad that’s over with!”

 

The doors slammed open as soldiers began marching in, two very important figures following along behind them.

 

“...Or not,” Dorian mumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I am back on track! Watch me ruin that next week. 
> 
> I was originally going to end it with Aravae closing her eyes, but considering how rough it was, mentally, for me to chug this chapter out, I wanted to leave it somewhere a little lighter. I am a terrible person to my characters...seriously. Then again, I think every writer is and all of us feel awful about it. :P
> 
> What will Ena do after she saw Aravae and Solas have a moment, hmm??? I'm excited to use this to continue onwards!
> 
> Thank you as always to the kudos and the bookmarks you guys leave for me! I really appreciate it. Feel free to leave me a comment if you would like to give feedback, share your opinion, etc.! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you all next week!


	10. Chapter 10

The mages were now allied with the Inquisition, Alexius had been stopped and brought into custody, the Arl of Redcliffe was now back where he was supposed to be, and Dorian joined up with them. Things were looking up after so long of feeling doomed by the looming Breach. Yet, Aravae could not get Ena to speak to her about whatever had happened with Alexius’s spell. The normally perky, joyful, silver-lining Dalish woman was withdrawn, silent, and brooding. A couple of times during the journey back to Haven, she had seen her weeping in Dorian’s arms, the Tevinter holding her gently and shushing her. Aravae was floored. Ena had always come to her with her problems, but now...it was like she was being shut out.

 

When Aravae cornered Dorian and asked him what happened, he would only say that they saw the future at Redcliffe Castle, a year from now. When they had seemingly vanish for only a split second, they had been gone the better part of several hours. She couldn’t get any more out of him. He only said that she needed to be patient and wait for Ena to come to terms with what she had seen before she could explain things to everyone else. Though Aravae was not entirely satisfied with the answer, she had to at least admit to herself that he was being loyal to Ena and her feelings, despite only having known her for a couple of days, at best.

 

They were rounding one of the last bends in their journey back, Haven only being a short distance away now, when Ena stopped and dismounted. She looked to Aravae, her face not betraying her feelings. “Can we talk? We’ll meet the rest of you back at Haven.”

 

Cassandra looked like she was going to say something, but decided against it. She nodded and took the reins for Ena’s horse. Aravae handed hers to Varric, then turned to follow Ena. She knew where she was leading them - up to the cave that they had used for their rendezvous when they tried to infiltrate the Conclave. They still had a bit of a hike through the snow to get up to it. The entire time, neither of them said a word.

 

It felt like the longest hike of Aravae’s life.

 

When they finally arrived, Ena frowned at the small pile of wood that had been left behind. It wasn’t enough to have a proper fire. She wrapped herself up in her cloak and sat down on the cold stone, gesturing for Aravae to do the same. The wavy-haired woman looked to her friend and saw that she seemed to be deep in thought, probably trying to decide where to begin. When she noticed Aravae looking, she laughed nervously. “Sorry. I’ve been thinking the entire trip back about where to start. You’d think I would’ve thought of something by now.”

 

Though Aravae was more than curious to hear what she had to say, she assured her softly, “Take your time.”

 

“It was just…” She exhaled sharply. “Creators, Aravae, it was a nightmare. Beyond anything I had imagined up til now if we were to fail.”

 

“What did you see?” she asked, hoping to try and help her along.

 

“The red lyrium that appeared at the temple? That we’ve seen slowly appearing everywhere? It was...literally everywhere. It was in the walls, the ground… Mythal enaste, it was growing out of people, Aravae! It was growing,” she choked, “out of you.”

 

Aravae hadn’t been expecting that. “Me?”

 

“You...and Fiona. It hadn’t completely affected Cassandra, Solas, or Varric yet, but…”

 

“Wait, wait, where were we?”

 

Ena hissed at herself. “I’m sorry, I’m not being clear. Let me… Okay, when Alexius sent us through his spell, we ended up in the dungeons of the castle a year in the future. Dorian helped me out...a lot. We got out of where we were, we looked around down in other parts of the lower castle. We found very few people alive down there. We found Fiona, she was almost completely immobilized by the lyrium. She’s the one who told us how long it’d been. Then we found...you and Solas. You were crystallized up to your waist. You...forced Solas to help us, since you couldn’t.” She took several deep breaths. “I’m sorry. You just… You were strong, but yet...you looked so defeated, so _tired_. It’s haunting my dreams, honestly.”

 

Aravae leaned over and gently touched her forehead to Ena’s, rubbing her shoulder. “It’s okay. You’re here now. I’m here. We’re both safe. Relatively speaking,” she added with a small smirk.

 

“Yes, you’re right.” When Aravae leaned back, she nodded for Ena to continue. “Solas did come with us. He told me what had happened to the two of you. You all escaped Redcliffe after Dorian and I vanished and you held out in Haven for four or five months. Then Alexius attacked with Templars and mages alike, all tainted by red lyrium. There was word of a demon army that invaded Orlais and killed the Empress. You were all overrun in Haven and brought to Redcliffe. From there, Solas grew vague. He just said that you were tortured and-...and raped. Then you were forced lyrium and that’s why you…”

 

“It’s okay,” Aravae whispered, though the news put a sick feeling in her gut. “Don’t linger on it.”

 

She exhaled slowly. “We found Cassandra and Varric. Then Leliana. Creators, she looked just as awful as you. She told us that Cullen and Josephine didn’t make it. That’s all she said. We fought through so many rifts of demons and the red Templars and Venatori. We finally got to Alexius. Leliana was the one who killed him. But then this...Elder One, his master, found out we were there, and sent legions of demons after us. Dorian began working a spell with Alexius’s amulet to get us back, but we needed time, so…” She paused. “All the rest of them… They sacrificed themselves so I could get back here. I watched the demons tear them apart, right before we made it back.” She wiped at her eyes with her cloak.

 

“Ena, I… I’m sorry, I don’t even know what to say.”

 

“I swore to you and the others that I would make it back and ensure that that future didn’t come to pass.” She set her face with determination, her golden eyes burning. “It won’t. I won’t allow that to happen. I refuse to see any of you like that. I refuse to let any of you die before this is over, then beyond that.”

 

Aravae smiled. “Naturally, I will help you in whatever way I can. No matter what.”

 

“Thank you, lethallan.” She stood with a shiver. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I would like the hottest bath known to man before I try to tell this to the council and decide what we need to do next.”

 

“It’ll be some time before the mages can get here, right? Probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to see if we can raise a few more numbers before taking on the Breach,” Aravae suggested.

 

* * *

 

Haven grew loud and rambunctious after that. First came Vivienne, who was not a loud person, speaking in terms of volume. However, she did have a large presence, was curt, traditional in standings, and neither Aravae nor Ena knew what to make of her just yet. Josephine assured them having Vivienne with them would help tremendously, in terms of her skills in the arcane and dealings with Orlais.

 

Sera was the definition of a loose cannon. She was hard to understand, she had just a confusing way of speaking, yet at the same time, her words made perfect sense. Aravae was not fond of her, but Ena thought she could liven things up to help balance out the sulking atmosphere that was Haven. She definitely did that and then some. They soon found out she thoroughly enjoyed pranks and picking locks. Nowhere in Haven was safe from Sera.

 

The Iron Bull was another one who was large, in both appearance and presence. Neither of the women had seen a qunari before and were quite curious to learn about him and his people. The fact that he was a spy put everyone a little on edge. However, he was so open about it to the more important people that even Aravae felt that he was being completely honest and not hiding anything from them. Still, he and his mercenary crew, while they were polite in standing, were the life of the party every night, Sera usually among them somewhere, in Flissa’s tavern.

 

Warden Blackwall was a quieter man, loyal to his cause, but eager to help the Inquisition. He was unfortunately unable to assist in easing Leliana’s concerns about disappearing Grey Wardens, but having someone present with knowledge of the Blight helped her to some degree. He urged that they could use treaties to help get supplies and applies, anything else they needed other than the mages to deal with the Breach and rifts. While he tended to keep to himself, he usually wasn’t far off, watching and observing the others in the tavern when it grew lively. On occasion, he was seen loosening up and giving off great belly laughs - usually at something Sera had done.

 

All of the newcomers seemed to settle in quite easily, though there wasn’t a lot of time to share pleasantries before the mages began to arrive. With them, the heavy feeling returned to Haven, everyone knowing that the time had come for the Herald of Andraste to make a second attempt at sealing the Breach. A few arguments broke out between some of the soldiers and the mages, but when Cullen scolded them and reminded them of their common goal, it helped to quiet things down.

 

Ena grew more nervous with each passing hour. She had met with the council and they had decided to follow through with their attempt the following day. It had been a couple of weeks since their dealings at Redcliffe, so she had known it was coming, but it didn’t help now. The weight of the world was on her shoulders and she was terrified of failure. If she wasn’t able to close the Breach, she wasn’t sure how to face anyone. To help distract her mind, she found herself wandering about Haven, talking with just about everyone in what was starting to be called ‘the inner circle’.

 

She was always eager to learn things and Dorian, while more than happy to talk about himself, gave her all the information she wanted on Tevinter. She wasn’t pleased to learn that Dorian’s family had slaves, but he didn’t seem to be a bad man, himself. She tried to see from his perspective that that was just the way things were and it was strange for him to not see slavery in the south. Likewise, he attempted to look at it from her point of view, as well, which she appreciated. All in all, she really liked Dorian and his flamboyant nature.

 

Vivienne, she found it a little difficult to speak with. She educated Ena on the Circle of Magi and how she believed things needed to be returned to how they had been, with mages overseen by Templars. While Ena didn’t have a solid opinion on how the mage situation should be handled, she knew that Vivienne’s suggestion was not a popular one. Still, the woman raised valid points, but Ena could see that she was in a rather peaceful environment. She had spoken to other mages that had been in circles and their experiences with Templars were much less pleasant. Still, she could sympathize that many things were lost after the rebellion, including many knowledgeable tomes, so she promised Vivienne if she ever came across anything that could help her, she would grab it. Vivienne raised a surprised eyebrow, but thanked her.

 

Blackwall seemed reluctant to give out too much information about himself or the Wardens, much to Ena’s disappointment. She could understand that the Wardens had their secrets within their order and since he had taken oaths, she wasn’t about to force him to try and break any. However, she got the feeling that whatever had happened to him before he joined the Wardens was anything but happy memories. Perhaps he had done something he was ashamed of, but he strived to change by joining the Wardens to protect the people. Ena could respect that. Still, he was a kind man that offered valuable insights and she was glad to have him on their side.

 

Ena was originally overjoyed to have another elf join their ranks, but the more she learned about Sera, the more she realized they butted heads on more than a few topics. While Ena was thirsty for knowledge on the past of their people, Sera could give less than two shites about it. She had no desire to hear about what went on during the ancient times, wanting to only focus on the present. While the Dalish woman didn’t entirely agree with that, she did understand what Sera was doing to help the poor, common folk. She did concur with Sera on the fact that people that were high in the ranks typically stomped on the people underneath them without any care. Sera fought to knock those people off their high horses to help make the smaller people’s lives better. The city elf also was not thrilled about the aspect of demons, but she was more than happy to put arrows in anything that Ena was fighting against, so long as it helped out others.

 

Then there was The Iron Bull with his mercenaries. Ena would be lying if she didn’t admit she enjoyed their company. They were a fun-loving bunch, eager to share stories and be the loudest in Haven, if not all of the Frostbacks. She did feel slightly intimidated by Bull, mostly due to his sheer size, but his lieutenant, Krem, and the other Chargers, welcomed her in like she was part of the group. It was amusing to see how there wasn’t really a hierarchy among them with how much sass the Chargers gave to their chief. Bull would grumble and give them the evil eye, but it was all in good fun. He offered for Ena to join them in a drinking game at some point. With a nervous laugh, she said she would think about it.

 

Speaking with all of them had taken the better part of her afternoon and had successfully distracted her. She felt a bit lighter, coming away from all of that. She had good people on her side. It made her feel more confident about their struggles yet to come. They would help her prevent that dark future from taking root. Still, it would make her feel a little better to know more about the man who had been behind Alexius. Leliana’s people were digging, trying to find any inkling of information, but they hadn’t been able to turn up anything yet. All they found was that the Templars, since abandoning Val Royeaux, had become alarmingly quiet.

 

She wandered outside of Haven’s walls, pondering on taking a quiet walk around the frozen lake, when she spotted a curious group by Harritt’s forge. Aravae was holding a new staff in one hand, but in the other, she was holding a blade - the one Ena had always seen attached to the bottom of her old one. She had told Ena long ago that it had been a gift and that she treasured it. Surrounding Aravae was Solas, Varric, Blackwall, and Bull, seemingly debating on something. Ena couldn’t hear from where she was on what was being said, but it seemed amusing enough, if Aravae’s expressions were any indication. She thought about walking over, seeing what was going on, but then she stopped cold in her tracks. She saw Varric make a gesture towards Solas while he said something, which sent the others into laughter, especially Aravae. Solas crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at them, as if offended that they were laughing at his expense. All Ena could see was Aravae and Solas.

 

The two of them in that cell together. Aravae encased in red lyrium. Both their eyes glowing red. Aravae pressing a kiss to Solas’s lips. Aravae calling him ‘vhenan’. Solas rushing in to return her kiss.

 

Ena walked off towards the lake, forcing her attention away from the group. The two of them seemed comfortable with each other now, but being romantically involved? It did make sense to her, she supposed. She’d thought several times how similar they were. They would probably be a good match for each other, but at the same time, why did it make her feel uncomfortable? Why did it make her chest ache slightly? Why hadn’t she told Aravae about it when she told her everything else she had seen?

 

She slowly made her way around the lake, staring at the ice, the mountains, the trees, the druffalos in the distance. _You’re being childish_ , she scolded herself. _If Aravae had done something like that, she would have been sure. She isn’t one to make impulsive decisions like that. But...what did she mean when she said that ‘he’ would have been okay with it?_ A light flush colored Ena’s cheeks. _She had a lover before? Or something more? I wonder if she’d… No, it’s none of my business._

 

Still, some of it started to make sense to her. The blade for her staff and the dagger she refused to get rid of. They were both gifts to her, but she never said from who. She’d said that she’d lost people dear to her, but not who. Now it was itching Ena’s mind. Now she wanted to know. At the same time, she wasn’t sure if she was ready for the answer.

 

She scaled up on one of the boulders on the far side of the lake and sat down, gazing out at the mountaintops. If it weren’t for the Breach, it would be nice and peaceful. She was starting to feel slightly homesick for the clan, but at the same time, she didn’t want to go back. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried for all of them, she was always an outcast to them, save the Keeper. Even her own grandmother shunned her, saying she was cursed by Fen’harel and given wolf’s eyes. As long as she had those eyes, the Dread Wolf could see everything she saw and their clan would never be safe. Here, with this growing group of diverse people, she felt more at home and accepted here than she ever had before. It scared her, made her feel like now she had even more to lose should she fail. She also couldn’t help but ponder if they only accepted her because of the mark on her hand.

 

She blew out a long breath of air, watching it vaporize in front of her. She shouldn’t be thinking like that. Besides, it would only dampen her mood again.

 

She sat out there for longer than she’d intended. Even her butt was starting to go numb from being in the snow. The sun was finally beginning to set when she heard the crunching in the snow of someone approaching. She glanced down and saw Aravae, her hair set back in a braid. “Are you alright?”

 

“I’ve just been thinking.”

 

Aravae leaned against the boulder. “About tomorrow?”

 

“Among other things.”

 

“Anything I can help with?”

 

“Oh, no, I’m just thinking about trivial things.” Wanting to shift the subject, Ena inquired, “What was all of that earlier, by Harritt’s?”

 

Aravae scoffed and chuckled for a moment before replying, “Well, he was kind enough to have a new staff for me, but I wanted my blade attachment put on it. So I was bringing it to him to see if it was possible and one thing led to another… Did you know Bull likes dawnstone? He says it’s pretty.”

 

Ena smirked with amusement. “That… Actually, that doesn’t fully surprise me, I guess. Huh.”

 

“The look of horror on Blackwall and Harritt’s face was priceless. I daresay if Bull tried to bring Harritt dawnstone to make him a weapon, he’d probably refuse unless he was getting paid good coin.” Ena laughed, but didn’t say anything more. A slightly awkward silence hung in the air, caused by an unasked question. Aravae looked up at her scrutinizingly. “Is there something you want to ask me?”

 

“It’s none of my business.” Ena waved it off.

 

“I’ll be the judge of that. Go ahead, you can ask.”

 

Ena studied Aravae’s expression. Seeing that the offer was genuine, she still paused, but slowly said, “Your blade that you have. I know you said it was a gift from someone, but… You’ve never said who it was.”

 

Aravae nodded slowly, humming in thought. “I’m surprised that you haven’t asked before.”

 

“I didn’t want to pry.”

 

“I appreciate that.” Silence fell. Ena was certain that it signaled that Aravae didn’t want to delve into the topic, but she broke it by finally replying, “It was from my husband.”

 

Though it confirmed her suspicions, hearing Aravae say it out loud stunned Ena. She echoed, “Your husband? I-well-if-if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay-”

 

“It’s alright,” Aravae assured her quietly. “Truly, I will probably never fully get over him, but...not talking about it doesn’t help either.” She inhaled through her nose, thinking. “I’ve lost many people. My brother, my husband...and my daughter.”

 

A sharp pain stabbed Ena’s chest. She had never even guessed that Aravae had been a mother! Then again, if she paid closer attention to her interactions with others, she probably could have seen the motherly side of her. She was about to insist once more that she didn’t need to talk about it, but Aravae didn’t give her the chance.

 

“I won’t go into great specifics, but… It was caused by a lot of fighting. Infighting, I suppose you could say. My brother, Nuvian, was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. In trying to get away from all of it, my husband, Rienmar, and my daughter, Estelar, were both killed. Nuvian and Rienmar were both excellent hunters. The dagger is Nuvian’s and the blade attachment is from Rienmar.”

 

Ena looked to her friend, mouth gaping. “Aravae, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

 

“It was...several years ago now. Honestly,” Aravae turned her face up to her with a sad smile, “it’s nice to actually talk to someone about it.”

 

Ena made her way down to ground level, eyes filled with sorrow. “How old was she? Estelar?”

 

“Four.”

 

“What did she look like?”

 

Aravae’s smile turned wistful and her eyes distant, as though she were able to visualize her daughter right before her. “Long, curly black hair… It was always getting into her eyes, but she refused to let me cut it. She wanted to have long hair like me. I’m not sure where she got such strong curls from - Rienmar had straight hair. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of green, a little darker than mine.”

 

“She sounds lovely.” Ena could just imagine a smaller version of Aravae running around, probably causing more trouble than the woman she knew.

 

“She was a little spitfire, that’s for sure.” Aravae laughed softly. She then cleared her throat and nodded. “Well, we should probably head back. We need to rest up for tomorrow, you especially.”

 

“Yes, you’re right.” Ena looped her arm through Aravae’s, the two walking side by side back towards Haven. “Thanks for telling me, lethallan.”

 

“Thank you for listening.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

After hearing that, Ena decided that she definitely couldn’t tell Aravae about her future self and Solas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've hit over 400 views?! And the kudos continue to grow as well?! Thank you all so, so much! >.<
> 
> Sorry that this chapter ended up being mostly filler. You did learn just a little bit more about Aravae! What will Ena end up doing about Aravae and Solas? Who do you guys want to see our favorite apostate hobo end up with? Let me know!
> 
> ALSO: I have been thinking about doing a collection of drabbles. I currently only have a couple of ideas, but if anyone has anything they would like to read about that I may not have covered in the story, send me a message or let me know on Tumblr where I have the same question posted! Again, thank you all so much and see you next week!


	11. Chapter 11

Marching up the mountain to the temple ruins was long, quiet, and filled with looming dread. What was going to happen if the Breach didn’t get sealed? What would happen if it  _ did _ get sealed? How was it going to affect the Herald and everyone else? 

 

Ena, Cullen, and Cassandra were leading the others up the path. The inner circle mages were coming along, wanting to help if they could. Behind them, Fiona led her most talented mages. Leading up the rear were a few former Templars that Cullen trusted to help keep peace should anything happen to any of the mages. They were dealing with the possibility of demons, after all. One couldn’t be too careful.

 

When they came to the Breach, Ena stared up at it, taking it all in. Now that they were here, in person, it felt like all the weight lifted from her shoulders. She wasn’t going to fail because it wasn’t an option. She couldn’t fail with all of these people behind her, lending their strength. While they were all getting set up, Cassandra and Aravae walked up to her on either side. Cassandra clapped a hand on Ena’s shoulder. “Are you ready?”

 

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose. I can do this.”

 

Aravae smiled and nodded. “We’re all right behind you. I know you’ll get this done.”

 

Hearing that only reassured Ena more. She  _ could  _ do this. She gave Aravae a grateful smile and gave a thumbs-up to Cassandra. The two women stepped back, Aravae joining the other mages. Ena took a moment, rolling her shoulders and taking a few deep breaths. The mark began to crackle to life, burning in her palm. As if the entire Breach were resisting her, she struggled to walk closer. The mark weighed her down, a throbbing pain now shooting up her arm. She heard Solas call out something to the mages from behind her, but she paid it no mind. She needed to focus.

 

She put her attention on the mark and suddenly, it didn’t feel quite as painful. If anything, it was filling her with strength. A tingling sensation encased her body. Was this what magic felt like? No matter. With her newfound strength, she took the final step to be as close to the Breach as possible. She raised her hand with a cry, the mark responding and connecting with the Breach. For several long seconds, she poured her will and everything else she had into her mark, gritting her teeth with effort. Then with a loud  _ crrrack _ !, everyone was flung backwards.

 

There was a pounding in Ena’s ears and her limbs now felt heavier than before as she picked herself up off the ground. She dared to look up to the sky and a huge grin of relief spread across her face. A hand touched her back and she heard Cassandra’s exasperated voice, “You did it.”

 

Cheers erupted from behind her, mages and Templars alike. Not only was the Breach closed, but the Herald was safe and seemingly unharmed! Ena, caught up in her joy, spun around and gave Cassandra a tight hug, not paying mind to the stabbing pains caused by the warrior’s armor. Clearly out of her element, Cassandra slowly returned the hug.

 

Cullen called out, “Let’s head back down to Haven! I daresay we should have a celebration!”

 

Dorian sputtered, dramatically wobbling on his feet. “What’s that, Commander?  _ Taking a break _ ?! My dear people, I regret to inform you that the Commander has been possessed. Templars, chop chop.”

 

Narrowing his eyes at Dorian, Cullen hissed, “Shut it, mage.”

 

“Oh! You  _ wound _ me, Commander! I thought for sure you had remembered my name. Am I that easy to forget?”

 

“Speak up, Dorian, I can’t hear you over your outfit,” Solas said, a sly smirk on his face.

 

“...And now I’m being sassed by the hobo apostate. I need a drink.” Dorian waved his hand in the air, starting for the path.

 

Aravae ran up to Ena. “You did it! Are you okay, can you walk?”

 

Ena tested out her legs. “I’m a little shaky, but I’ll be fine. What about all of you? You all seem tired, too.”

 

“We’re fine. You dealt with the brunt of it. We just lended you some power. A little lyrium, a little rest, and we’ll be right as rain.”

 

If possible, Ena’s smile grew bigger. She then gave Aravae a hug, wrapping her arms around the woman’s neck. Without hesitation, Aravae returned it, squeezing her gently. “Come on. Let’s head back.”

 

* * *

 

They were surprised to find when they returned that the Bull’s Chargers hadn’t immediately broken open a cask and started drinking when they saw the Breach close. Instead, when the group approached Haven, deafened by cheering and applause, Bull ran up to Ena with one of his axes, shoving it into her hands. “Come on! You deserve to be the one to kick off the party, boss!”

 

Appearances be damned. Though Ena was still a little uneasy on her feet and Bull’s axe was heavy as hell, she followed him through the crowd to where Krem was standing behind a cask of ale, encouraging her forward. Ena ran up and with an excited bellow, raised up the axe and brought it down on top of the barrel, successfully splitting the wood. The Chargers were all too eager to lean forward with empty mugs to catch the spilling liquid. With that, a simultaneous, excited cry went through the crowd and the party began.

 

Flissa, though she had help, had been hard at work getting food and drinks set up within the tavern. The bard, Maryden, began playing a jig-like tune, several people jumping up to dance. Though she was offered several drinks, Ena momentarily rejected them, wanting to get some food in her stomach before trying to face any alcohol. Aravae sat with her on one of the walls for a while, the two laughing together at the festivities and people cutting loose. Many of the inner circle came by to congratulate Ena and make sure she was okay before going back to the party. Finally, Varric came around with two mugs that were filled to the brim, offering them to the women.

 

Ena looked at Aravae with a raised brow. “Well, I’d say we’ve more than earned this, right?”

 

“You have, for sure.” Aravae accepted her mug. “Still, we were good and waited most of the afternoon. I’d say we’re in the clear.”

 

Ena agreed and took her mug. Varric laughed as he walked off. “Pace yourselves, ladies!”

 

Aravae cautiously took a sip first. Her eyes widened slightly. “Oh, this is actually decent. It’s not what Flissa usually has.”

 

“I would say maybe it’s one of the Charger’s, but… I’ve had what they have.” Ena grunted. “Don’t try it, no matter what they try to tell you. Especially if it’s coming from Bull.”

 

Aravae lifted her mug up. “Well, here’s to you, lethallan.”

 

“Here’s to  _ us _ ,” Ena corrected, tapping her own mug against Aravae’s. “And our success.”

 

“It’s been an adventure so far. Guess we’ll see what’s in store for us next.”

 

They drank, taking a large gulp. Ena cleared her throat, then rested the mug in her lap. “I think-no, I  _ know _ there’s more hurdles to get over, but this was definitely a big victory for us. I think we’ve earned a little bit of time for ourselves, wouldn’t you say?”

 

“What would we do with ourselves?” Aravae laughed lightly. “Oh, look, even Josephine’s dancing! First Cullen, now her? The council is falling apart.”

 

Ena smirked, watching the ambassador twirl about across from Blackwall. “They deserve it probably more than us. I didn’t take Blackwall to be a dancer.”

 

“There’s been stranger things, I suppose. I don’t think I’ve really ever danced much before.”

 

“No opportunity like the present,” Ena encouraged.

 

Aravae scoffed into her mug as she took another sip. “I doubt there would be a soul here patient enough to put up with me.”

 

The words left her before she could stop them. “What about Solas?”

 

There was a pause from Aravae and her smile twitched a little, but she didn’t bat an eye. “He is patient, I’ll give you that, but I doubt he dances at all.”

 

“Would you if he said he did?”

 

“I think I’d like to see  _ you _ try and get him out there.”

 

Ena couldn’t stop the light flush. “Wha-what?!”

 

“Oh, go on. I’ve seen just about all of your dances. You’re really good at it.”

 

“He’d...probably find a way to make a quip about it being a Dalish dance,” Ena mumbled.

 

Aravae hummed. “Perhaps, but I think since traveling with you, he is trying to be a bit more open-minded about the Dalish.”

 

“...You think?”

 

“I know. Don’t believe me?” Aravae scanned the crowd. “Oh, there he is. Uh oh. He’s cornered by Dorian and Varric. He’d probably appreciate a rescue.”

 

Ena’s cheeks darkened more. “No, I’m fine.”

 

Aravae turned to look at her, an amused eyebrow raised. “Are you embarrassed?”

 

The Dalish woman could only hope that Aravae couldn’t hear her heart pounding. “No! I just… I’m not sure.”

 

“Because he isn’t Dalish?”

 

Ena clenched her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms. “No, because it should be yo-”

 

_ Clang! Clang! Clang! _

 

Everyone froze, all movement, laughing, music, coming to a halt. Haven grew silent as a graveyard. Cullen’s voice broke through, shattering the silence, “Forces approaching! To arms!”

 

The two women cursed, throwing their mugs aside and jumping up, running towards the gate. The soldiers were running around, grabbing their weapons and armor. The inner circle and the council all gathered at the front gate first, Cassandra inquiring, “Cullen?”

 

He spun around to address them, eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. “One watchguard reporting. There’s a massive force heading our way, the bulk of them over the mountain.”

 

“Under what banner?” Blackwall demanded.

 

“None.”

 

Josephine gaped. “None?!”

 

There was a heavy banging on the gate, causing everyone to jump. A young man’s voice on the other side called, “I can’t come in unless you open!”

 

Ena rushed forward, despite Leliana’s warning, and pried one of the doors of the gate open. A young man in a large hat and strangely dressed spun around a man in armor, glowing red, and stabbing him in a weak point in the armor. The man didn’t even groan as he dropped dead to the ground. The young man turned to Ena with his pale blue eyes. “I’m Cole. I came to warn you, to help. People are coming to hurt you. You probably already know.”

 

Ena shook her head. “Slow down. Who’s coming? What’s going on?”

 

“The Templars come to kill you,” Cole whispered. 

 

“Templars?!” Cullen growled. “Is this the Order’s response to us allying with the mages - attacking blindly?!”

 

Cole shook his head, stepping back from the ired Commander. “The red Templars went to the Elder One.” He looked back to Ena. “You know him? He knows you. You took his mages.” He turned on his heel, searching the mountainside. He then raised his hand, pointing. “There.”

 

Ena could see the red Templars pouring overtop the mountains, making their way towards Haven. For a moment, the future she saw in Redcliffe flashed before her eyes. She bit her lip.  _ Don’t think about that now _ . She spotted a tall...man? Creature? What  _ was _ that? It appeared male, that much she could tell. At his side, a full grown man in armor walked up, perhaps only reaching the Elder One’s torso. 

 

“He’s very angry you took his mages,” Cole said softly.

 

Seeing that the Templars were getting closer, panic rose in Ena. She glanced around, seeing the inner circle determined and in fighting stances, ready to go. The soldiers were lining up, just about ready to march. “Cullen, give me a plan. Anything!”

 

Cullen’s mouth twisted up. “Haven is no fortress. If we are to withstand this monster, we  _ must _ control the battle. Get out there and hit that force with everything you can.” He drew his sword and stepped back to address the soldiers. “Mages! Soldiers! You have sanction to engage them! That is Samson and he will not make this easy. Inquisition! With the Herald!” He pointed his sword in the air while Ena drew her daggers. “For your lives! For all of us!”

 

They roared a hefty battle cry, swords clanging on shields, staves raised in the air. They moved forward. Several groups of the soldiers ran out ahead, making their ways to the trebuchets. One of the captains called out, “Keep them off us! We’ll load the trebuchets and hit them hard!”

 

Ena raced off to the right of the trebuchets, crouched, ready to fight. A few advance forces were closing in, swords raised. Cole came up to one side, standing entirely too nonchalant while enemy forces were charging. Cassandra came up to her other side, sword and shield set to go. A barrier wrapped around them, assuring Ena. The others were right behind her. They could handle this. One enemy at a time.

 

Ena raised her own battle cry, charging forward, the others behind her. She picked an archer that was kneeling, getting ready to fire in their direction. She darted to the side as he released his arrow and spun around behind him, digging her daggers into his back. His blood spilled on the snow.

 

First blood. The battle had begun.

 

She remained focused, taking on one Templars at a time, but keeping an eye on her surroundings so that she wouldn’t be surprised. Cassandra, Blackwall, Cole, Sera, and Varric fought at her side. Bull and his Chargers, Cullen, and many soldiers took care of the other side of the trebuchet. Aravae, Dorian, Solas, and Vivienne all worked like a well-oiled machine, taking turns casting barriers, healing, setting up walls, and the like on both sides. In the brief few moments Ena had been able to catch a glimpse of it, she had to admit that she was impressed by them. 

 

She downed one Templar after another, spinning, striking, stabbing, ducking, but they didn’t seem to have an end to them. When she saw a large group of them cautiously making their way across the lake, she cursed. Why did it have to be the middle of winter when the ice was at its thickest?! Still, even that many bodies with all that weight in iron and steel, it wouldn’t take much for the ice to crack…

 

Cassandra downed the last immediate enemy when Ena heard, “Behind you!”

 

She turned quickly, half expecting an enemy, but instead, she saw Aravae racing forward, out of protection and into the open. With a curse in elvish, Solas raised a barrier around her just before she left his range. Ena called out, about to charge after her, “What in Elgar’nan’s name are you doing?!”

 

With a cry, Aravae slammed her staff in the ground, summoning a dark cloud of lightning overtop the frozen lake. She charged up her energy for a moment, then released it. Several bolts of lightning struck from the ominous cloud, making contact with the ice. She began stepping backwards slowly, keeping her eyes glued on her magic. A low, creaking noise rumbled in the valley as the ice gave way. None of those that had been crossing managed to make it to solid ground before they fell into the frigid water, sinking to the bottom. Aravae wiped sweat from her brow as she made her way back to the frontline.

 

Though she wanted to scold her for leaving the relatively safe zone behind them, Ena said while panting, “Good job.”

 

“I try.” Aravae grinned, taking a sip from a lyrium potion.

 

There was a lull in Templars. The captain ran up to Ena. “I think we have it for the moment, Your Worship. But I would go check out the other trebuchet, it stopped firing.”

 

“Alright. Hold it down here.”

 

“Yes, Your Worship!”

 

Ena began jogging as she called out, “Bull, Blackwall, you guys stay over here to help! Dorian, Vivienne, you too! Everyone else, to the other trebuchet!”

 

They followed along behind her. Once they rounded the bend, Ena tsked. The Templars had killed the soldiers and taken over the trebuchet. They appeared to be examining it, a few knives drawn, probably ready to sabotage it. Cullen shouted, “We need to get that trebuchet firing! Take them out!”

 

They lunged forward, dodging arrows. Aravae and Solas focused on distracting the archers so that the frontline fighters could get close enough to the other heavy fighters. Once they had them taken out, they directed their attention back to their barriers. Ena snarled at the corrupted Templars that were in thick armor, having to all but dance around them to find a weak point to drive her daggers in. Cullen and Cassandra managed to run in and direct most of the attention to themselves in order to give her and...the other young man fighting with them time to do just that. Cole! That was his name.

 

When the forces had dwindled down enough, Varric and a soldier ran up to the trebuchet and began cranking it. As Sera laughed triumphantly, sinking her arrow into the last Templar in the area, they fired it while everyone else fought to catch their breath. Ena looked up and watched as the large boulder found its mark and smashed into the Templars forces, causing an avalanche and burying many of them. But there was still such a large number of them left. Ena was starting to feel the exhaustion catching up to her. Between closing the Breach and a dragged out battle, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could go before she really started making mistakes.

 

Cullen waved several more soldiers forward. “Keep it going! I’ll go check on the others.”

 

It was a good, long moment for the others to take a breather. Sera and Varric walked around, salvaging what arrows they could. Aravae went to Ena’s side, checking her over. “Are you holding up okay?”   
  


“A few scratches, nothing bad.” She stretched one of her arms. “If it weren’t for the trebuchets, I don’t think we’d have much of a chance. But...I’m remaining optimistic about this.”

 

“I’m glad you are,” Aravae muttered. “There’s quite a few still left.”

 

Cassandra spoke up, “We’re doing okay. We haven’t had a large number of casualties yet, especially in comparison to the other side.”

 

“Umm...Your Worship…?” one of the trebuchet operators said hesitantly.

 

Ena looked to him, then followed his gaze up to the sky. Her heart plummeted. Every alarm in her body went off as her feet began moving on their own. “Move!  _ Now _ !” she screamed.

 

It only took a moment once a thundering roar pierced the air for everyone to glance up and begin running. A dragon flew low overhead, spitting a ball of fire, destroying the trebuchet. The force of the blast sent them all off the ground, flying a few feet before crashing down. The dragon roared again as it passed, gaining altitude and circling around for another strike.

 

“Is that a  _ fucking _ -?!”

 

“Everyone, back to the gates!” Ena shouted, cutting Sera off.

 

Not requiring much incentive, they set off as quickly as they could. They saw Harritt trying to shove large crates out of the way of the door to his home, calling out for help. One of the soldiers assured Ena that he would help and for the others to press on. As everyone piled through the gates at Cullen’s urging, Bull took a moment to stop and look up, growling. “Oh, that is  _ messed up _ .”

 

“Move it!” Cullen snapped, the Templars closing in.

 

The last of them, including Harritt and the soldier, raced through and the gates slammed shut behind him. Ena bent over, panting heavily, looking towards the Commander. Though he looked winded as well, he began heading up the stairs. “We need everyone back to the chantry! It’s the only building that might hold against...that beast!” While the soldiers began moving, urging whatever residents that were not already sheltered in the chantry, Cullen turned his somber gaze to Ena. “At this point, just make them work for it.”

 

“The villagers will need help if they’re going to survive this,” Dorian said, more serious than Ena had heard him yet.

 

“Spread out, grab whoever is straggling along behind, meet at the chantry,” she quickly ordered, setting off to the right. She spotted a few Templars beginning to scale the walls and Lysette out in the distance, raising her sword with a throaty cry.

 

The group raced about Haven, helping out whoever they found while making their way back towards the chantry. Once they made it there, worse for wear, Roderick was at the doors, ushering everyone in, being supported by the young man in the large hat. “Keep going! The chantry is your shelter!”

 

Ena took one last glance around the village, overlooking all the dead bodies, and made her way inside. The doors were shut and locked up as quickly as possible. Roderick wobbled on his feet and the young man - Cole - took him to the nearest open floor space. Upon seeing Ena’s questioning face, he explained, “He tried to stop a Templar. The blade went deep. He’s going to die.”

 

Roderick coughed and wheezed, “What a charming boy.”

 

Ena slowly made her way further in, looking around at all the injured. The women, children, and elderly were huddled at the very back of the chantry, spilling into the war council room, holding each other and trembling. Most eyes were on her, making her feel sick to her stomach. She had just saved these people by closing the Breach. Now she was going to let them perish because she couldn’t stop this force?

 

Cullen rushed up to her, running a hand through his hair. “Herald, our position is not good,” he said softly. “That dragon stole back whatever time you had earned us with the second trebuchet.”

 

“I’ve seen an archdemon,” Cole said suddenly. “I was in the Fade, but it looked like that.”

 

Ena frowned in confusion. Before she could ask what in the world he meant, Cullen waved him off. “I don’t care what it looks like! It’s cut a path for that army. They’ll kill everyone in Haven!”

 

Panicked whispers met Ena’s ears. 

 

“The Elder One doesn’t care about the villagers,” Cole insisted. “He only wants the Herald.”

 

Without hesitation, Ena snapped, “If it will save everyone, he can have me.”

 

“It won’t.” Cole shifted his gaze downward. “He only cares about killing you. The others don’t matter, but he will crush them, kill them anyway. I don’t like him.”

 

“You don’t like-?” Cullen broke off with a disbelieving scoff. “Herald… There are no tactics to make this survivable. The only thing that slowed them was the avalanche. We could turn the remaining trebuchets...cause one last slide.”

 

A chill went up Ena’s spine. “We’re overrun. To hit the enemy, we’d bury Haven.”

 

Cullen’s expression was grave. “We’re dying. But we can decide how.” His voice softened. “Many don’t get that choice.”

 

A heavy silence fell in the entire chantry, save for the groans of the injured and dying. Ena began breathing shallowly. Cullen was right. They couldn’t survive it. She clenched her jaw.  _ No! There has to be a way to save at least some of them… _

 

“Yes, that… That could work,” Cole whispered. “Chancellor Roderick can help. He wants to say it before he dies.”

 

“There is a path… You wouldn’t know it unless you’ve walked the summer pilgrimage...as I have. The people  _ can _ escape.” Roderick forced himself to stand, pressing his hand over his wound, blood seeping through his fingers. “She must have shown me. Andraste must’ve shown me so I could...tell you.”

 

“What are you on about, Roderick?” Ena urged, hope kindling in her.

 

A way out. He described it through his weary mutterings. Roderick had a way out for the villagers and the others. Ena’s heart soared. They could be saved. She turned quickly to Cullen. “What about it? Will it work?”

 

“Possibly.” The Commander nodded. “If he shows us the path. But…what of your escape?”

 

Ena slowly turned away from him, facing the doorway. She swallowed the knot in her throat and wiped her clamming palms on her breeches. She knew what needed to be done.

 

Catching on, Cullen murmured, “Perhaps...you will surprise it? Find a way…” When she didn’t reply, she heard the clank of his armor as he stepped away. “Inquisition! Follow Chancellor Roderick through the chantry, move!” 

 

Cole took some of Roderick’s weight again. “Herald,” he croaked, “if you are meant for this… If the Inquisition is meant for this… I pray for you.”

 

His words both stunned and warmed Ena while Cole led him off through the crowd. He had been such a cold man, shunning the Inquisition and Ena in particular since everything with the Conclave, but here he was, a man of faith, offering his prayers for her, a declared heretic. It calmed her, almost eerily so. She knew she was doing the right thing.

 

Several soldiers rushed to the doors and opened them, racing outside. Cullen came to Ena’s side once more. “They’ll load the remaining trebuchet. Keep the Elder One’s attention until we’re above the treeline. We’ll signal you.”

 

“There is no way in the Void you’re going out there alone,” Aravae snapped, approaching.

 

“I agree, boss,” Bull said. “If they make it over the walls before you reach the trebuchet, you won’t have a chance on your own.”

 

Ena looked to her inner circle - her friends - as they gathered near her, equally as determined as her to protect the people. She wet her dry lips. “I can’t ask you to-”

 

“We’re going to help, my dear,” Vivienne interjected. “The question is, are we going to stand here and argue or are we going to get this done?”

 

Ena felt the sting of tears at her eyes. She nodded and faced them directly. “If I tell you to run, you run. Understand?”

 

They nodded in agreement, save for Aravae, who nearly glared at her. They headed for the doors together, Cullen calling out after them, “If we are to have a chance - if  _ you _ are to have a chance… Let that thing hear you.”

 

The chantry doors slammed closed behind them as they stepped back out into the biting air. The soldiers that had loaded the trebuchet were starting to head back towards them, but they were quickly struck down by arrows as more Templars scaled Haven’s walls. Blackwall stepped forward and knocked his sword on his shield a single time. “Let’s do this.”

 

“Stick together and let’s get to the trebuchet,” Ena ordered.

 

“Now you’re sounding like a leader,” Dorian praised. “Let’s go.”

 

They forced their way through several small waves of the red Templars, slowly making progress towards the trebuchet. Even when they had a clear path, they didn’t rush too far forward, wanting to make sure they gave Cullen and the people all the time they needed to get up the mountain. Once they got to the trebuchet, Cassandra stated, “It needs to be aimed.”

 

“I got it,” Bull offered, stepping up to the controls. He began turning the heavy crank, the trebuchet slowly rotating to the left, towards the nearest mountain.

 

“Reinforcements, over the wall!” Varric shouted, aiming Bianca and firing.

 

“Everyone, guard Bull’s back! Bull, keep it up!” Ena raced towards the wall.

 

“Gotcha, boss!”

 

The mages formed a semicircle behind Bull and began working their barriers again, not having much energy left to carry on doing much more. They fired off what spells they could to help, but they wanted to conserve their energy to ensure they could keep their comrades as safe as possible. The rogues, save Sera and Varric, fought up in the front with the warriors, trying to make up for the lost ground of not having Bull up there with them. 

 

Ena kept on her toes, fighting off the shaking in her knees as the fatigue threatened to become overbearing. She sidestepped a sword thrust, noticing how close it had come to catching her arm.  _ Faster! _ she ordered herself as she drove her dagger through the man’s neck. She was certain at this point, it was only the rush keeping her alive. With no immediate enemy in front of her, she glanced around, making sure everyone was okay. Blackwall was fighting two enemies at once, and he appeared to be struggling. She ran up from behind, stabbing one in the ribs while Blackwall drove his sword through the other one’s chest. He nodded wordlessly in thanks, breathing heavily.

 

She looked around again. Everyone was wearing out. She could see the sweat pouring off of them, the twinges of pain and burnout, but they kept on. Despite the moment, she smiled faintly. She couldn’t ask for better people watching her back.

 

A sharp, familiar shout of pain broke through to her, her eyes quickly zeroing in on Aravae, who had stumbled backwards into Bull, the qunari man spinning around to catch her. With an intense ferocity, Solas fired a spell that instantly froze an archer. Upon a second look, Ena saw the arrow sticking out of her left shoulder. She nearly began to run to her, but a second shout stopped her. She spun around, daggers up, but she saw Cassandra’s back as the woman struck down a Templar that was about to drive his axe into Ena’s back. The short haired woman peered over her shoulder and snapped, “Don’t get distracted!”

 

“Right!” It was hard for Ena to remain concentrated when she could hear Aravae’s strangled screams from behind her as they no doubt dug the arrow out of her, trying to patch her up as best they could for the moment.

 

That was when a gurgling roar echoed around them, another behemoth monster charging towards them, except he was much larger than the ones Ena had seen earlier. Most of the other red Templars around them were taken care of, so she turned her attention to him, crouched and ready. Once he got closer, he raised an arm, made entirely out of red lyrium, and brought it down with a thunderous crash, attempting to crush her. She rolled out of the way and attempted at stabbing him. Her dagger all but nearly bounced off of the hard surface. She narrowed her eyes in aggravation, but stepped quickly away.

 

“‘Ey, Varric! Think I could land one right in his eye before you?” Sera called, raising her bow.

 

“You’re on, Buttercup!” Varric laughed breathlessly, Bianca aimed in the next instant.

 

The two archers opened fire, attempting to land an arrow in his face, seemingly the last area where he even looked remotely human anymore. He grunted and raised his enormous arm, guarding himself. The arrows bounced off like playthings.

 

Sera shouted, “No fair!”

 

“Done here!” Bull called, turning back away from the trebuchet. 

 

Ena caught a glimpse of Aravae getting a quick healing from Dorian, the woman’s face contorted with pain. Ena was certain she would make it. Now she just needed to follow through.

 

Bull grinned sadistically and readied his massive axe. With his own bellow, he lunged surprisingly quick towards the monster. He swung it over his shoulder and brought it down on the behemoth’s arm, chipping away part of the lyrium. The beast stumbled back, growling, eyes narrowed on The Iron Bull. He brought his arm back, ready to swipe again, and Ena ran forward. She grabbed on and let go at just the precise moment so that she could land on his shoulder. She held tight so as not to be thrown off as he continued his assault on Bull, trying to make her way closer to his face. Noticing that he had company, the behemoth reached up with his other, less disfigured hand, and grabbed onto Ena’s ankle, yanking her painfully from his shoulder. He threw her and she spun around in the air, momentarily losing her bearings. She saw the ground fast approaching and managed to twist around, smacking onto the ground on her side instead of her neck. She groaned as she pushed herself up off the ground. Thankfully, the others had drawn the attention of the monster away from her. Cassandra and Blackwall were now striking at him from behind while Bull rammed him from the side. The mages, including Aravae and Dorian, were throwing every spell they could at him in an attempt to bring him down.

 

At last, they managed to force the beast to his knees. With him open, the archers rained their arrows down on him, sinking every last one into any inch of flesh they could find. The behemoth moaned, then fell forward onto the ground. As Ena made her way back over to them, she heard Varric inquire, “You alright, Seeker? He hit you pretty good. Even with your shield up...”

 

“Just some bruising. I’ll be fine.”

 

Ena counted, saw that everyone was still present and breathing, and approached the trebuchet. “Okay. It’s time for you to go. I’ll fire this.”

 

“Ena-”

 

“Herald-”

 

“C’mon, let us-”

 

“ _ No _ ,” she snapped, cutting them all off. “You agreed to run if I told you to. It’s time to. Do as I say.”

 

A heavy silence fell between them, but it was quickly shattered by the screeching, blood-curling roar of the dragon. They all looked up in panic and saw it swiftly approaching them directly, its jaw unhinged and ready to spit fire. They began to scatter and Ena screamed, “Go!!”

 

The dragon landed heavily, the ground shaking beneath them as they split up to avoid being crushed. The dragon set fire to the walls of Haven as it turned back around to face Ena. From its backside, Aravae stared in horror, then picked her staff up off the ground and began to run at it. A large arm caught her around her midsection and Bull lifted her off the ground. She kicked and struggled. “Fenedhis, Bull, let me go!”

 

“We need to  _ go _ , Aravae! Don’t waste her opportunity!” he shouted, beginning to run away from the dragon and back towards the chantry, aiming to follow after the others.

 

“I can help her! Bull, I swear, if you don’t put me down…!”

 

“We’ve got no other option!” he insisted.

 

She began calling forth whatever remaining power she had left, electricity crackling along her skin, when a familiar, chilly aura of magic wrapped around her, her eyes becoming heavy. She scanned the others and saw that Solas had paused for a moment in his running, his hand glowing with magic and his gaze apologetic and sorrowful.  _ “Solas, how could you…” _

 

The world grew full of shadows, then faded completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness... Last week, we got just about 70 hits, more kudos, and I've read your comments letting me know how you'd like to see the relationships end up! Each of these is so incredibly appreciated. Hello to all of the newcomers and hello again to those of you still tuning in - I hope you continue to!
> 
> I manage to chug out a slightly longer than normal chapter just so we could get all of the attack on Haven covered in one. From this point, I'm going to start trying to really shift things to being different than just wholeheartedly following along the game timeline. Hopefully, you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Well, I guess that's about all I have for this week. As always, I love seeing your comments! If you also have questions or any further suggestions, you know where to put them. See you all next week!


	12. Chapter 12

Rather than a slow, gentle awakening into the world, Aravae snapped back to consciousness. When she did, she noticed a few things.

 

It was incredibly cold and dark.

 

She was still being carried by Bull, though a little more gently than she had been before.

 

It was eerily quiet.

 

Bull paused and looked down at her tensely. “Are you alright?”

 

“Put me down, Bull.”

 

“No chance if you’re gonna try and bolt.”

 

Aravae glared at the qunari, but took a moment to consider. “I won’t,” she assured him. He hesitantly set her down in the snow. She looked around and heard all the crunching of snow come to a halt as the others around them stopped walking as well. It was still only the inner circle around her, no Haven citizens or Ena. Her angry gaze stopped on Solas. “How long was I out?”

 

“Just long enough for us to clear the first mountain,” he answered coldly. “I’m sorry, Aravae. I had to.”

 

She frowned deeply. “What happened?” Already dreading the worst, Aravae’s stomach twisted uncomfortably.

 

“We managed to clear the area in time,” Cassandra replied. “The Herald… Ena managed to fire the trebuchet, but as she predicted, Haven was completely buried.”

 

“We should go back and look for her,” she said immediately.

 

“We want to, Ivy, but… You didn’t see all of it.” Varric hung his head. “There’s honestly no way she made it. On top of that, the damn dragon flew away.”

 

She quickly snapped, “You don’t know Ena like I do, durgen’len. She had to have found a way. She’s quick and clever.”

 

“Right now, we need to focus on catching up with the commander and the others.” Vivienne rested a hand on her hip, the other up in the air, casting a small fire for them to see by. “As much as we want to go back and help look for her, we aren’t certain if she survived. Haven’s people, we know for sure survived and they will need our protection. The forces were hit hard and I’m sure many that are left are injured.”

 

“If we’re out in the open like this for long, any injured won’t last long, either,” Dorian added morbidly.

 

Aravae glanced behind them into the dark landscape. She could see only one or two small plumes of smoke in the distance over the mountains, most likely where Haven had once stood. She imagined there would be more, had it not been buried under the snow. All she could think of was Ena, stuck underneath a drift somewhere, alive, conscious, but unable to dig her way out. It made her burn. Solas’s familiar aura brushed against her, demanding her attention. She spun back around to glare at him. If he hadn’t forced her unconscious, she might have been able to make it back to Ena and help her. What did she owe Haven’s people? She remained only for Ena’s sake. She studied his expression. He seemed guilty and upset, judging by his eyes and tense lines around his mouth. Her anger subsided slightly into tired sorrow. “Fine,” she bit out, “let’s go.”

 

They pressed on, Blackwall and Bull leading the way just ahead of Vivienne, clearing a path through the snow for the others to walk through more easily. From where she was, following along behind most of the others, Aravae could hear Bull murmuring, “Cullen did good… Kept them moving… Further the better.” Blackwall grunted softly in agreement.

 

The wind began to pick up around them, stirring the powdery layer of snow on top. Aravae tucked her messy braid down into her clothes to help keep her neck warmer, sniffing as her nose began to run thanks to the biting chill. She didn’t look at the others, especially Solas, who walked at her side. She kept her gaze directly on the ground in front of her, resisting the urge to continuously turn around and see if Ena was struggling along behind, trying to catch up to them. Right ahead of her, Dorian lit his own flame, shivering audibly.

 

Though they were all breathing heavy, felt frozen, and were completely exhausted, they pushed on, determined to get to the others. Cassandra was certain Cullen would have stopped them moving once it got dark and built as best a camp they could. He wouldn’t want to keep a large crowd moving through uncertain territory in worsening conditions. If they themselves stopped moving, surely they would freeze. Again, Aravae thought of Ena, wounded and unable to walk.

 

Finally, they walked over the peak of the second mountain and spotted campfires down below in a small, somewhat concealed valley. They breathed sighs of relief, thinking about the fires that would thaw them out. Once they were about halfway down, they were spotted and greeted by a patrol. They thankfully said nothing about Ena not being present, but informed Cassandra where to find Cullen, Josephine, and Leliana to get a full report on everything.

 

Once they entered the camp, all heads spun around to look at them, clearly searching for one person in particular. When they didn’t see her, their hopeful expressions sank into despair. Aravae’s gut wrenched, seeing the same manner again and again, knowing that her own face must look the same as them. They split away from each other silently, wandering off to different areas. Aravae trudged to the far side of the camp to the furthest, emptiest campfire she could before finally collapsing to the ground before it. Solas sank down a few feet away from her, gazing into the flames.

 

At this point, Aravae was too tired to be angry at him any longer. She understood why he and Bull did what they did, but she couldn’t help but feel that she could have done something. She slowly warmed her body with the fire, rotating on her knees to get her backside as well. She was glad that Solas said nothing. A few weary citizens came to warm themselves, but they didn’t speak to either elvhen directly. Once Aravae had most feeling back to normal in all her limbs again, she pushed herself up to her feet, albeit a little unsteadily. She looked to Solas and croaked, “I’m going to find the council. See what they need help with.”

 

He nodded without looking at her, deep in thought. However, he too rose off the ground, legs shaking slightly, and meandered at her side. She figured he would want to locate where the injured persons were so that he could help out, considering that was where he spent a good amount of time in Haven.

 

It wasn’t hard to find them, what with the amount of arguing that was rising from one of the tents towards the center of camp. Aravae didn’t bother announcing their presence before opening the flap and stepping inside. Even after that, it took a few moments for silence to fall.

 

“-in the morning!” Cullen growled.

 

“I want to as well, but we need all of our forces  _ here _ !” Leliana snapped.

 

Cassandra’s tone was disbelief. “Are you suggesting we not even try?”

 

“I’m just saying-”

 

“Ah, Lady Aravae, Master Solas, umm, how can we help you?” Josephine forced a smile as she faced them. 

 

It took Aravae a moment to adjust to her appearance. Her normally perfect hair and clothing were disarrayed and torn and her ever present board with paper was nowhere to be seen. She merely said, “Where do you need help in camp?”

 

“...There are quite a number of injured-”

 

She cut Cullen off briskly. “Where?”

 

He pointed to a general location. “A few tents down. They’ve set up as best we can, but-”

 

“That’s where you’ll find us if you need us.” Without another word, though Solas gave a polite bob of his head, they left the tent.

 

Leliana rushed to the opening in the tent, stepping out behind them. “Wait a moment, please.” Once they stopped walking, Aravae not facing her, she inquired, “Do either of you have any more information? Did you see any more than the dragon? Cassandra believes she saw the figure of that Elder One down there with her.”

 

Aravae took a quick, sharp inhale through her nostrils and spun on her heel, her gaze icy. “What does it matter, with  _ your _ precious Herald dead?” Though she saw the challenging expression from the Nightingale, she continued on her way, all but stomping through the snow, not sure if Solas was following after her.

 

She found the tent - tents, rather - quickly enough and could hear the soft moans from inside them. She also felt the hum of magic in the air and stepped inside the first one she could. From the far side of the tent, she saw the hunched figures of Dorian and Vivienne. Dorian stood upright once he realized Aravae was present and when he did, she spotted Adan kneeled over an injured soldier. Dorian said softly, “We just arrived ourselves. Adan was informing us of the situation thus far. Is Solas joining us?”

 

No banter, no sarcasm, no wit. Dorian was truly as worn out as everyone else. Aravae stepped further inside, careful to move around the other patients. “He should be momentarily. I think he was held up by the Nightingale.”

 

Aravae was not expecting a small sarcastic jab to come from Vivienne. “Titles? My, we are at that point, aren’t we?”

 

As she joined them, Dorian said, “Forgive us, Adan. Please go ahead.”

 

From there, Solas did join them after a while. They worked as long as they physically and mentally could into the night, trying to save all those they could. Most were minor injuries, severe bruising, sprains, a few broken limbs, some head wounds that had bled an alarming amount. There were those that had those small wounds that had already started spiking fevers with infections. Some had been poisoned by enemy weapons, which they weren’t able to do much for without all of Adan’s potions. Adan informed them that they were barely able to bring many potions at all since his workshop exploded thanks to the dragon’s fire.

 

Dragon, archdemon, whatever in the Void it was.

 

When they were finally able to work no longer, Mother Giselle, the young man in the large hat, Varric, Blackwall, Bull, and a few of his men came to switch out. They shooed the mages from the tents, forcing them in the direction of where they needed to bed down for some rest. Aravae collapsed into a bedroll and passed out nearly as soon as her head touched down.

 

* * *

 

 

_ “Mamae!” a shrill, young voice cried out with glee. “Look at me!” _

 

_ Aravae glanced down at her side and was once again startled by how quickly her daughter could move out of her sight. She followed the sound of the small girl’s giggling and saw her as she stood atop a small pile of rocks. To the tiny three year old, it must have looked like a small mountain. The way the little girl stood proud and tall, waving her hands above her head, she clearly felt as though she had traversed so far and accomplished so much. _

 

_ Aravae smiled and swooped over, picking her curly haired daughter up and cradling her in her arms, pecking her with kisses. “Why, da’enasal! You climbed that all by yourself?” _

 

_ “Mmhmm! I did, Mamae!” Her brilliant green orbs stared up at her mother. _

 

_ “That’s amazing, Estelar. You will be hunting with your papae in no time.” _

 

_ The little girl’s face twisted in serious concern. “I can’t shoot sparks like you, Mamae?” _

 

_ “Perhaps when you’re older, you may. But for now…” Aravae set Estelar down and patted her back. “We want to practice being quiet so we can sneak up on your papae, right?” _

 

_ “Right!” Estelar giggled more, then crouched down on the ground as though being on all fours may make her quieter. She crept forward along the forest floor, Aravae walking tall right behind her.  _

 

_ They rounded a small bend and suddenly, Estelar was gone. Aravae’s pulse quickened as her eyes darted around, searching desperately for her daughter.  _

 

_ “Mamae, when can I have the pretty markings like yours?” _

 

_ It sounded as though Estelar’s voice was sounding right inside of her head. No matter how much she searched, she couldn’t see her. Glancing behind, she couldn’t even see any evidence of their tracks they had left. _

 

_ “Estelar?! Da’enansal, come here, please!” Aravae shouted, trying to hide her urgency and failing. _

 

_ “Papae! Where are we going?!” _

 

_ “Mamae, I’m scared…!” _

 

_ Aravae began running, tearing through the forest, feeling a twist in her heart each time she heard her daughter’s voice. Each time she spoke, she sounded just a little older. _

 

_ “Papae! Mamae! They’re catching up!” _

 

_ “Papae’s hurt!” _

 

_ “Mamae…!!” _

 

_ Aravae soon had no path to follow in the forest and a shadow had fallen around her, getting closer. She stopped moving and snatched up her staff. No. She knew what this was. _

 

_ “Mamae?” _

 

_ Aravae frowned. This voice was unfamiliar, belonging to a young woman. She spun around and gasped audibly, stepping backwards. It was her daughter, at least, how she may have looked had she lived to grow up. Aravae felt a prickling sense all over her body, but… This young woman looked so beautiful. Tall, fair skin, only a few freckles. Long, flowing black curls spilling over her shoulders and down her back. Piercing green eyes that were the calmest she’d ever seen. Her fair skin was free of any scars, blemishing, and vallaslin. She was dressed in a simple white gown with golden trim. Her plump lips parted once more to speak again- _

 

_ “Save me.” _

 

_ It was Ena, the redhead covered in gashes and blood. One eye looked swollen and her lip was split, blood trickling down her old scar on her chin. She looked miserable and hopeless. She reached a hand out, the mark flaring- _

 

_ “Why didn’t you save me, Aravae?” _

 

_ The forest erupted in fire. Aravae’s skin felt like it was melting. She raised an arm to try and protect her eyes from the thick clouds of smoke. Through the stinging tears, she could see that a figure was forming in the smoke itself. A voice spoke, a mixture of the older Estelar and Ena’s. _

 

_ “You can save me, you know? All you have to do...is say yes.” _

 

_ Aravae gritted her teeth and slammed her staff down, summoning walls of ice to protect her. “Dirthara-ma!” she spat. _

 

_ She wasn’t sure how long she sat balled up in the ice walls. By time they melted down, the forest was back to normal and she could hear her little girl giggling all over again. “Mamae! Look at me!” _

 

* * *

 

 

When Aravae finally got to open her eyes again, she felt next to entirely unrested. She was laying on her back on the bedroll, Solas close on her right, Vivienne directly to her left, and Dorian snoring lightly beside of Vivienne. She glanced at her immediate surroundings and saw that the other two were still deep asleep as well. She groaned lightly as she sat up, each muscle protesting movement. The tent flap shuffled a little, most likely by wind, considering no one entered. It was well past sunrise, that much she could assume. Grudgingly, she rose from her thin layer of warmth and stood, being careful to tiptoe around the others. She stepped outside and had to shut her eyes for several moments, since they were terribly offended by the bright light cast off from not just the sun, but the snow as well. 

 

There was movement about the camp, but the mood still felt heavy. She stood there in front of the tent for some time, observing. The soldiers were attempting to move around with purpose. The frightened citizens bundled together and whispered and cried with each other. She had caught no glance of the council or the others of the inner circle. If any of them had any sense, they would still be asleep too.

 

Nearly just as soon as Aravae stepped away from the tent, no real destination in mind, she nearly collided with the commander himself. Cullen stepped away quickly to avoid their collision. “Oh, um, Lady Aravae. My apologies. I didn’t mean to, um… I’m sorry.”

 

Aravae met his gaze. He appeared as weary as she felt. She could see the light redness in his eyes and the bags under them. She doubted he had slept a wink. She shook her head and offered a ghost of a small smile. “If anyone should be sorry, it’s me, Commander. I...shouldn’t have acted that way last night. I didn’t mean to take it out on you all. You have enough on your plates.”

 

“No, no, not at all,” he quickly replied. “I mean… I took no offense. I would strongly advise not having Leliana irritated at you, however. But you are just as exhausted as the rest of us. And the Herald…” He trailed off, but his tired eyes grew slightly harder. “I have a search party out now. I could only send out a few men… We need most here. I don’t...want to count our chickens before they’ve hatched, shall we say?”

 

Aravae’s tiny smile grew sad. “I don’t want to either, but… It’s good to hear you have as much faith in her as I.”

 

“She’s pulled off remarkable feats before.” Cullen dared to scoff lightheartedly. “What’s one more?”

 

“I agree,” Aravae found herself saying. “Well, I should let you get back to...whatever you were doing. I’ll be… Well, I’m not sure yet, but I’ll be around. Let me know if you need help.”

 

“I appreciate it, My Lady.”

 

Aravae sighed, sagging her shoulders. “Just  _ once _ , Cullen, stop using a title-” When she looked up, the man had already departed. She tsked and narrowed her eyes at his back. He was sneaky, that one.

 

She tromped out just past the edge of the camp where it was quiet and looked up towards the peak they had climbed down from to join the refugees. She knew she would drive herself crazy if she tried staring at it all day, somehow wanting to will Ena to be there, but she couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t sure what else she should do at the moment. Should she try and stay with the Inquisition? Could she talk Solas into slipping away and she could help him with his goal, despite the fact she didn’t truly want to do it? ...Or did she? Should she offer information about where exactly they were in the Frostbacks? She wasn’t dim - though it had been terribly dark the night before, she still managed to keep her bearings and seeing her surroundings in the light now only confirmed it. She could lead them on a trail for the next two days and lead them to Tarasy’lan Te’las. Unless Solas were to put himself in the line of fire and announce he was Fen’harel, he more than likely wouldn’t risk using the old fortress again. If it still stood, that is.

 

She would weigh out the options in her mind as she stood alone in the snow. She could figure out a way forward while keeping an eye on the sky. The clouds seemed to be greying and moving in.

 

Though she had adequate time to herself to think, she didn’t have as much time as she thought. As the clouds thickened, the wind began to pick up. She hurried back to camp and helped secure things and shelter what animals they were able to bring with them before she made her way to the tents of the injured. Mother Giselle was still there, but the chantry woman sent Aravae on her way, insisting that those who had been able to be saved were stable and there was nothing more she could do to help for the time being, including Chancellor Roderick, who was still hanging on, but not for much longer. His wound had been too deep and he had lost far too much blood.

 

Since she wasn’t needed there, she walked back to the tent she had shared with the others for the night. Dorian was inside, taking a sip of something he had from a small flask. He offered it up to Aravae as she slipped inside, but when she shook her head, he tutted. “Suit yourself. The others will probably be back soon, anyways. A blizzard is coming, so the council was just telling everyone to find a tent and hunker down together.” He sucked on his teeth, bearing a look of wistful disappointment. “I would much prefer to hunker down wherever the commander is going to be, but oh well. I’m certain there will be other opportunities.”

 

Unable to laugh, Aravae scoffed in remark. “I would trade with him, but judging how jumpy he can be around mages, I doubt he would be inclined to willingly sit through a blizzard in a tent full of them.”

 

“We’re the ones who can stay the most warm! It makes perfect sense that he would want one of us.” Dorian threw his hands up in defeat. “Well, enough of Fiona’s mages made it out that they’re all splitting up in order to do just that. However, I suppose because of our skills and closeness to those up top, the common people seem to be frightened of us. Vivienne, I could understand. That woman terrifies  _ me _ .”

 

“She can be intimidating, that’s for certain,” Aravae agreed. 

 

“Indeed. And then I am from Tevinter, Andraste protect them all from me. The last two are lovely elves who frolic naked in the moonlight.”

 

The tent flap opened just as Aravae gawked at Dorian, not certain if he were being serious or not. The one to step through was Vivienne, Solas right behind her. As the darker skinned woman made her way around Aravae, she said, “Darling, your jaw will get stuck like that and you’ll catch flies for the rest of your life.”

 

That brought Aravae out of her sense of stupor and she pointed at Dorian indignantly. “We do  _ not _ ‘frolic in the moonlight’! What even…”

 

Solas sighed and secured the tent flap behind him. “I see Tevinter lore about elves remains accurate as always.”

 

Dorian gaped in mock regret. “It’s not true?! Fasta vass. I wanted to see you make flowers bloom with your song, just once.”

 

“We can’t do that eith- Nevermind.” Aravae rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’m not entertaining this notion.”

 

“Pity. We’ll need to do something to pass the time.” Dorian crossed his legs and tucked his flask away. “We have no choice. I must regale you all with the story of my life.”

 

“Firstly, there aren’t enough blizzards in the world to get through that one.” Vivienne sank down on top of her bedroll. “Secondly, I think we’ve all heard enough of it multiple times.”

 

“Are you sure? I can always-” Dorian cut himself off after seeing the daggers glared in his direction. “Or not. Goodness. Tough crowd I’m stuck with. Perhaps I should chance the weather and find the commander’s tent after all.”

 

Aravae and Solas both settled down on the ground as well, the four mages sitting in a circle facing each other. They sat in silence for a short time, listening to the wind picking up and smacking against their tent. The one to break the silence was Vivienne. She turned her sharp gaze to Aravae. “It occurs to me that I don’t know much about you, Aravae.”

 

“There’s not too much to tell, really. I came to be here with the Inquisition because Ena-”

 

“Yes, she was kind enough to tell me that much. I realize you were adopted into her clan, but what about before?” Vivienne’s eyebrow arched. “You were just wandering and you ended up in the Free Marches?”

 

Aravae bit her tongue before answering. She knew under Vivienne’s interrogation that she’d have to be careful about how she worded things. She also knew that Leliana had tried one more than one occasion to corner her and dig up more information about where she was from, but Ena had always managed to successfully divert her. She wasn’t getting away from Vivienne, but she couldn’t make up an incredibly in depth story. “I was a slave,” she began. “I had been since I was very little. I didn’t really know any other way of life, but my master wasn’t cruel to me, so it was almost as if I didn’t realize that I actually  _ was _ in slavery. I had other slaves around me, including my brother, so I was never alone. However, there was...a traveler that I met that revealed that my seemingly kind, caring master had ulterior motives to using us. I didn’t believe him and refused to leave when he offered to help me. He left, but it wasn’t the last time I’d see him.

 

“Several more years went by and I fell in love with one of the other slaves. With the consent of my master, we were allowed to be together. We even had a daughter together. However, once she got a little older, our master finally began showing their true colors. There was a dispute with another slave owner and our master began sending us to fight. Many died. My brother was one of them. It was around this time that the traveler returned to the area. He offered his help once more, but this time, I agreed. He helped us sneak away, but we had pursuers. During the time we tried to get to a safe area...my husband and daughter were killed. Only I managed to make it. I wasn’t sure what to do with my freedom, so I got a staff and went off on my own. I was careful to not get too close to any cities or towns or even Dalish clans. I was lost without my family, so I wandered aimlessly for some time, until I finally came across those Templars that day near Clan Lavellan.”

 

Aravae dug her nails into her palms, wishing her pulse would calm down. She felt like Vivienne could hear the blood rushing in her veins and would smell out her lies. Though the woman had listened silently and intently, she bore a sympathetic look in her eyes. “I’m sorry to make you talk about something so dreadful, my dear.” 

 

“Kaffas, that’s awful.” Dorian leaned forward. “So you were in Tevinter as a slave, I assume?”

 

“Very close to the border,” she found herself answering. 

 

“It’s not unusual for disputes between families to be handled violently, especially when it’s over something very small. To send slaves out to do the fighting, though… That is odd. I mean... that’s their property, their investments. Your master must have been beyond rich in order to do something so reckless.”

 

“I wonder about that traveler, though,” Vivienne murmured. “Clearly, it wasn’t someone from Tevinter.”

 

“He must have been someone from another country that didn’t care for Tevinter and its slavery,” Solas said evenly. “Just someone who wanted to help whoever he could.”

 

“It’s rare to find such charitable people in this world, especially one willing to risk his own neck,” Vivienne pointed out.

 

“But if he hadn’t, we wouldn’t have our darling Aravae here, preparing to render us with song and chase this blizzard away!” Dorian held his hands out dramatically.

 

She glared lightly at him. “Is that what I’m going to do?”

 

“I could have sworn. I may have misinterpreted your intentions, but that is hardly ever the case.”

 

“Fenedhis.” She sighed. The air temperature in their tent was dropping, so she summoned a small flame in the center of their circle, careful to not let it get too close to the top of the tent. 

 

They spoke a little more, Vivienne sharing some stories of her time in her circle. Dorian managed to squeeze in a few interesting adventures from Tevinter. Solas redirected most questions to discussions of the Fade. When the two shemlen mages inquired about Solas’s opinions on spirits and demons, the elvhen man was all too delighted to oblige and share his knowledge. Vivienne still felt, no matter what, that spirits and demons were the same and neither could be trusted. Aravae saw how that got under Solas’s skin. Dorian was slightly more receptive, entertaining the idea, but still remaining skeptical. When they rounded on Aravae to hear what she thought, she paused, then mostly agreed with Solas, though she didn’t want to seem too agreeable, lest it make them suspicious. 

 

Thankfully, the blizzard didn’t last too much longer. It was just enough time for Aravae to slip away out of Dorian’s insistence on her once more singing a song. They heard the wind die down and Aravae was happy to smother her flame and stick her head outside, deeming it safe. The Tevene sighed and stood. “Back to business.”

 

The sun was barely peeking through the clouds, but it was enough for them to see that dusk was quickly approaching. Others popped their heads out of tents and seemed relieved as they stepped out, examining their surroundings. There were definitely piles of snow drifts and the tents were covered, some having an inch or two stacked along the bottom. The mages all quickly set to melting the snow carefully, not wanting to cause large puddles to freeze. Once the camp was mostly back to normal, they then checked in with the injured. As they performed some small healings, Cassandra stopped by.

 

“Some of us are going to scout out the area around us so that we can decide which way we set out tomorrow. Would any of you like to come with us?”

 

Aravae had been tempted to say yes, to point them in the direction of Tarasy’lan Te’las. Before she could even glance at him, she heard Solas say, “Thank you, Seeker, but I think we will remain here.”

 

Dorian waved a hand in the air. “Indeed, I don’t feel like trekking through more snow than I have to.”

 

Cassandra made a disgusted noise at Dorian, but nodded at the others and left the tent. Aravae cast a look towards Solas, wondering what his plan was. He hadn’t given any indication for anything to Aravae yet and she hadn’t seen him in the Fade in several nights, since before the attack. Perhaps he was keeping his distance and figured she was still angry over him not allowing her to help Ena. He would be partially correct, but she didn’t like not knowing what was going on.

 

It was when they finished up with the injured that Solas pulled Aravae aside to an empty campfire. She looked at him questioningly, waiting for him to speak. He glanced around and spoke soft elvish,  _ “I believe it would be wise to still remain with the Inquisition.” _

 

_ “Care to explain?” _

 

_ “They will still have to face the Elder One. He is a threat they will not allow to go unchallenged. They still know about the plan he has in mind after Ena and Dorian experienced it in the future.”  _ Solas crossed his arms.  _ “If they go after him, I would have a better shot of regaining control of my orb than I would if I tried with my agents. I can gather information and accomplish small feats, but something like this isn’t possible.” _

 

_ “Solas…”  _ Aravae hesitated, not sure what to say. She glanced down into the fire, unable to look him directly in his determined blue eyes.  _ “I would love to bring our people back, the way of our life back, but…” _

 

_ “You are still going to say they’re worth saving, even though Ena is gone?” _

 

Her brow twitched.  _ “I won’t lie. I’m not certain. However, how can we be certain that your plan will actually bring back Elvhenan? Can you entirely promise me that we wouldn’t be destroying the world for nothing?” _

 

_ “It wouldn’t be destroying it,”  _ he insisted.  _ “Those with magic in their blood would survive. That includes the shemlen and plenty of elves from this world. However, it would restore our longevity, bring the Fade back as it used to be… Don’t you remember that feeling?” _

 

_ “Of course I do,”  _ she murmured.  _ “I feel blinded and deafened in this world without my connection to the Fade. I still can’t feel at ease without the spirits around us. I just...still feel that there should be another way. I’ll ask again: Can you promise me that you could bring Elvhenan back if we did this? Even if it did...it won’t bring the people we knew back.” _

 

_ “...I know.” _

 

_ “And the pantheon. You would really try to kill them?” _

 

_ “You believe they can be reasoned with? They killed Mythal.” _

 

_ “I don’t, but attempting to kill them is only going to incur another war. One that we possibly couldn’t even win. They will want vengeance on you for what you did. They may likely even all work together to-...to kill you.” _

 

_ “They may try.” _

 

_ “What makes you so confident, Solas?”  _ She snapped her head up to face him.  _ “Even if we get your foci back, you believe that we could take them on? I’m nowhere near the level of power as you and them. There is a reason those who were ignorant called you gods.” _

 

_ “I will not ask you to help me in fighting them, Aravae,”  _ he said quickly.  _ “I will not risk you for that. You’ve lost much in life, more than most. You deserve to live and see the return of our people.” _

 

_ “You will not ask, but I will help nonetheless. You are my friend, Solas. My last true friend left. I wouldn’t let you fight alone.”  _ Solas tried to say something else, but his words died away. She had rendered him speechless. He gazed silently at her, as though trying to answer the silent questions floating in his mind. She took a sharp inhale.  _ “I may or may not remain. I may go and reach out to your contacts. I may go and try to locate the ruins of temples, to see if any are still left guarding them.” _

 

_ “You would go alone?” _

 

_ “You wouldn’t come with me, so yes.” _

 

His lips pursed.  _ “I don’t like the idea of that.” _

 

Aravae scoffed.  _ “I may not be as strong as you and the Evanuris, but I am still more than capable of looking after myself.” _

 

_ “I know that, but…” _

 

_ “But what?” _

 

Anything Solas might have said in response was drowned out by an excited chatter rising up in the camp. Frowning, Aravae spun around. She saw that the people were looking up towards one of the slopes. She turned her gaze towards it and gasped softly. She saw Cullen and a few others racing down the slope, but it was what was in Cullen’s arms that was important.

 

Wrapped up in his cloak was a pale, frigid Ena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Sorry that I'm a couple of days late. I was making a 1400 mile journey for my best friend's wedding and didn't have access to my laptop for nearly a week. However, this one is slightly longer, so perhaps you can forgive me? *innocent smile*
> 
> So many new kudos! Thank you all so much. They mean so much to me. I hope you're all enjoying the ride so far! <3
> 
> Da'enansal - little/small blessing
> 
> Any questions? How do you see the story progressing? Want to just chat about DA? You all know where the comment box is! I will see you all next week, hopefully back on schedule!


	13. Chapter 13

“It’s...rather extensive.”

 

“Just tell me.”

 

“It looks like other than some severe bruising and some scratches… A dislocated shoulder and elbow, a few broken ribs, the beginnings of frostbite, hypothermia, and a gash on the back of her head.” Adan shook his head in disbelief. “Honestly, I don’t see how she survived. Solas is tending to her, because that mark was also… I don’t know, what did he say…? Humming? I don’t know, it was just flashier than it usually has been in the past.”

 

Aravae exhaled slowly, hanging her head for a moment. “May I go in and see her?”

 

“Not just yet. I just wanted to come give you an update. We have limited space and many cooks in the kitchen, if you will. We don’t have room for someone who doesn’t specialize in healing.” Adan shot her a look, promising her he meant business. After that, he ducked back inside the tent where they were treating Ena.

 

Aravae remained still, knowing that if she got in the way, she’d only endanger Ena more. She’d leave the more professional healers to their job. As Adan said, it wasn’t her specialty. 

 

“Uhh, Aravae?” Bull’s voice cut through her thoughts. “You’re sparking.”

 

She glanced down and saw tiny sparks of electricity dancing on top of her cloak and clothing. Taking a breath to calm herself, she muttered an apology. The others of the inner circle and the council remained, hovering around the tent, all bearing worried expressions. Though it was in dire circumstances, it did bring a little happiness to Aravae, knowing that the others cared for her deeply. When her eyes glanced over Varric, she remembered how she’d snapped at him the other day when she awoke. She hadn’t seen him since they’d split apart in the camp. Gritting her teeth, she inched towards him. When he glanced up at her with a puzzled expression, she slowly said, “Varric, I just wanted to apologize...about the other day. I didn’t mean to take my frustrations out on you.”

 

“Water under the bridge, Ivy.” Varric grinned up at her. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve already forgotten it.”

 

“...Thanks, Varric.”

 

“Nothing to thank me for.” He gave a playful, light punch on her side. “You know...I didn’t take you to be one for apologies over small stuff like that. Even when we were traveling, you never really apologized for much. At the least, I could tell your heart wasn’t in it much when it was the small, silly stuff.”

 

Aravae gawked slightly. “How so?”

 

“Well, you’re a pretty prideful woman, you know.”

 

“I-...suppose I can’t deny that.”

 

He chuckled. From behind them, there was a cough that clearly covered up a small laugh. The two slowly turned and saw Blackwall casually standing with his arms crossed. As Aravae raised an eyebrow at him, he immediately raised his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, but there is no denying that at all.”

 

“Am I that bad?”

 

Sera scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “You’re just as elfy as baldy elfy in there, if not worse. Blegh.”

 

“So...being ‘elfy’ makes me proud?”

 

“Damn straight it does!”

 

“Come now, can’t we do this later?” Cassandra grumbled, shooting daggers at them.

 

“I think that Ena would worry if we  _ weren’t  _ squabbling,” Dorian said sagely. “We certainly aren’t helping by just moping around, waiting.”

 

“Good point, Vint,” Bull concurred. “I’ll take my boys around camp and see if there’s anything we can help with.”

 

Murmurs of agreement rose up and all of the others dispersed, leaving just Aravae to stand vigil outside the tent and wait for more news. She saw the others on occasion throughout the evening, some of them even standing with her to keep her company, though she didn’t speak much. At last, a few healers walked out of the tent, looking weary. One of them gestured with their head, “You can go inside, My Lady.”

 

Aravae quickly stepping inside the tent, thankful to be out of the freezing air. She nearly froze when she fully entered and her eyes landed on Ena on the cot, buried underneath blankets and furs, her skin pale. She hesitated on stepping further in because of what she saw Solas doing. With a surprisingly tender expression, he was brushing some of her hair out the way, exposing more of her vallaslin, and resting his hand on her forehead. He leaned back and brought his hand away when he spotted Aravae. “She is quite resilient,” he said softly.

 

“Yes…” She finally stepped closer to them, shifting her eyes down to her ill and injured friend. “She really is. I knew she had to have found some way out. I have no idea how she did, but...she did.”

 

“The commander said she was mumbling quite a bit when they found her. He couldn’t make out much. Just ‘tunnels’, ‘blizzard’, ‘wolves’, and ‘Corypheus’.”

 

Aravae frowned, honing in on the last bit. “The name of this Elder One, I assume?”

 

“You assume correctly. Beyond that, he couldn’t understanding anything. We forced some things down her throat to help ease her pain and try and relax her, but she finally passed out once we set her arm and shoulder.” He rubbed his eyes, slumping down onto an empty cot. “We’ve been slowly warming her, trying to warm her body up. It took some time for her to respond, but… As long as she doesn’t develop a fever, I think we may be through the worst of it.”

 

Aravae nodded neutrally. She didn’t want to get her hopes up. She knew Ena was strong and would fight, but stronger people had been done in by worse. Perhaps she was superstitious, but she felt that if she accepted that Ena would be okay, chipper, up and moving around by morning, that she would jinx it somehow. Right now, she just accepted Solas’s words at face value. “...Thank you, Solas.”

 

“It is nothing to thank me for. It is what anyone capable would have done. The others were helpful.”

 

“Yes, but still… It’s not that I don’t trust the others to heal her, but knowing you were here to help eased my worries a bit.”

 

“Well… In that case, you’re welcome.” Solas flashed her a quick, tired smile. “I assume you want to stay for a while?”

 

“I can stay so you can get some rest. You looked like you were stampeded by a herd of halla.” Aravae waved her hand. “I promise to let you know if anything changes in the slightest. Go get some sleep.”

 

Solas forced himself back to his feet. “I believe I will accept your offer.”

 

“It wasn’t an offer, it was an order.”

 

“Oh?” He was quick to raise an eyebrow at her, letting silence take over.

 

Aravae wasn’t sure why, but her face warmed ever so slightly under his gaze, which seemed amused. She crossed her arms and pointed. “Go on.”

 

He gave off a quiet, throaty chuckle. “As you command. You know where to find me if you need anything.” 

 

“Yes. Get some rest.”

 

“Ma nuvenin.”

 

Solas slipped by her and exited the tent and Aravae quickly took his spot on the empty cot beside of Ena, who seemed to be in a very deep sleep. Aravae wrapped her cloak tightly around herself and settled in for a long night.

 

It was, thankfully, uneventful, though healers came by almost constantly to check on her. Dorian popped by first out of the inner circle and once he got an update from Aravae, he went off to go and inform the others. They, too, all came by at one point or another to see her. Since she had never really been alone with her thoughts for the night, Aravae was a little surprised when the tent flap opened once and she spotted the early signs of daylight. She didn’t feel particularly tired, herself. Though Ena had moaned and shifted several times, she had yet to open her eyes. It almost felt like deja vu as Aravae recalled when Ena had first tried to close the Breach and it had knocked her out. Then, Aravae had to guard her for fear of her being assassinated. Now, she doubted anyone would dare to make a move on her.

 

Adan and a couple of the healers came in and shooed Aravae from the tent, all but ordering her to go and rest. She stole one more look at her pale friend as she left the tent, holding her cloak close. She glanced around the camp when something caught her eye. She saw a lone figure just barely vanish over the slopes. It must be a scout heading out in the direction that the council must have decided on yesterday. If they had even decided on one before stumbling upon Ena. 

 

She walked through the camp in search of breakfast of some sort. She hadn’t eaten much in the last several days and she knew she needed to before she started losing energy. She passed by Bull and Krem and when she eyeballed their bowls of some sort of stew, Krem grinned and pointed her in the right direction. When she came across the campfire where they were serving out small portions of food, she gladly took a bowl with thanks. She wolfed it down quickly and passed the utensils off to the young man that was taking them all off somewhere to be cleaned. 

 

“Oh, you’re still here, elfy two?”

 

Sera’s voice instantly brought a small crease to Aravae’s eyebrows. She turned on her heel and looked at the rogue woman, who looked genuinely confused. “What exactly is that supposed to mean, da’len?”

 

“Bah, don’t start usin’ your elfy words at me!” Sera scrunched her nose and even took a step back. “Well, elfy apparently set out to go scout a path. Figured you’d go with ‘im, since you’re both so…”

 

“Elfy?”

 

“Yeah. That.”

 

Sera’s words sunk in with her. Solas had gone out to scout? Alone? That must have been him she saw over the slopes. Why would he go alone? Was he going to Tarasy’lan Te’las? Was he leaving the Inquisition after all? She let her mild irritation with Sera slide and asked, “He went alone?”

 

“‘Parently. Last I saw him was with the bigwigs.”

 

Aravae nodded silently in thanks and set off towards the tent where she figured she’d be able to find the council. Once she stepped inside it, she only saw Josephine inside, peering with great concentration at a piece of parchment. She was so intent, she hadn’t noticed Aravae’s approach. The elvhen woman cleared her throat. “Ambassador?”

 

Josephine jumped slightly and immediately rose to her feet. “Oh, forgive me, Lady Aravae. How may I help you?”

 

“Where has Solas gone?”

 

Josephine’s expression shifted into concern. “He went out to scout alone. We all strongly advised against it, but he insisted.”

 

“Why him, though?” she pressed.

 

“He told us earlier this morning that he had been spending lots of time exploring the Fade and that he had possibly found somewhere we could relocate to take shelter at. We offered Leliana’s scouts, he declined. He said that he wasn’t sure of a direct route and that he believed the location to be protected by elven magic, so he needed to go and disable it so that it would...allow us to approach? Something of that nature.” She gave a small shrug. “I know he has traveled on his own before, but still… The Frostbacks this time of year are quite unforgiving. He did take one of the ravens so that he could communicate.”

 

“I’ll go after him,” she offered with a small sigh.

 

“What?!” Josephine’s eyes widened. “Why? And what about Ena?”

 

“I cannot help her here. I’m not a well enough healer. As for Solas, he is just being proud. I doubt he would deny my assistance since I am both a mage and an elf.” She crossed her arms. “Where could I gather some supplies?”

 

It was silent for a moment as Josephine stared at Aravae, as though willing her to try and change her mind. Instead, her shoulders sagged forward. “I feel the need to repeat that I do not like this. However, we do have a tent set up just a couple behind here where we already have some packs with food, water, and other things. They were prepared for the scouts, but… Just let Leliana and Cullen know you’re going as well and I’m sure you can take one.”

 

“Thank you, Lady Ambassador.” Aravae bobbed her head and backed out of the tent.

 

The other two were, needless to say, not thrilled about her decision either. However, she didn’t leave them much room to argue and they caved in just as Josephine had. Leliana personally handed her one of the packs and as she shifted it onto her back, the spymaster said, “Please make sure you send daily reports. Leave some markings along the trail if you are able to and then give us a detailed description on how to get there.”

 

“As you say, Nightingale,” Aravae promised. “I’d better be off if I’m going to catch up to him.”

 

“Yes. Do be careful.”

 

“I will.”

 

Aravae hurried off out of the camp, following through the small path in the snow that Solas had left. She knew she would catch up with him soon enough. He probably didn’t want to waste energy constantly casting a spell to melt the snow in his path, so he would trudge along slowly, having to lift his legs and force his way forward. For a split moment, Aravae recalled that she hadn’t slept since yesterday, but she quickly dismissed it. Right now, she just needed to hurry up and meet up with Solas.

 

He had a fairly decent head start. A half hour or so. While he was moving slightly faster than Aravae predicted, she still saw his figure in the distance within the hour, a raven resting on top of the pack on his back. He was still a bit too far out of range for her to reach out with her aura, but she didn’t want to call out to him and risk a possible avalanche. He was a careful person that was aware of his surroundings. If he didn’t already know she was there, he would soon.

 

At last, she was able to reach out to him and she saw him slow down, his breath vaporizing in the air as he fought to catch his breath. He turned and looked at her with an expression that told her he wasn’t surprised to see her. He stopped and waited for her. As she finally came up to him, panting with a slight stinging in her lungs, he said, “I thought you might come after me.”

 

She gave a light shrug and gulped in some air, cursing the thinness of it up in the mountains. “Yes, well, I wasn’t entirely sure what you were thinking. At first, I thought you left. But Josephine mentioned you were looking for a place for the Inquisition to take shelter, so…”

 

“That is correct. I wasn’t planning on leaving. As I said, the Inquisition is still the best bet of going against the Elder One and reclaiming my orb.” He crossed his arms and furrowed his brows in ponder. “However, if we are going to lead them there, I would like to be there first.”

 

“To see if it still stands?” Aravae shook her head. “No, you must have seen that it is in the Fade. Then to see if anything connecting you to Fen’harel still exists?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Alright, then. Let’s get moving.”

 

Solas’s lips tightened. “I appreciate it, but I would prefer you go back to stay with Ena.”

 

“She hadn’t broken out into a fever and didn’t seem to be in overwhelming pain by time the healers came back this morning. As you said last night, she is probably through the worst of it. I can’t help her by just sitting around doing nothing. I would rather be proactive and be part of helping her to lead the people to safety. You know you or I won’t get any credit.”

 

“As you say. Well, then…”

 

The two pressed on. Since it was just them, they figured they could reach Tarasyl’an Te’las in about a day and a half. When the others and the Haven citizens make the trek, they figured it would be about another three to four days before they arrived. That was also hoping that they would have decent weather and no more blizzards. The landscape was much of the same: so much white, a few trees scattered about, very little wildlife, and jagged cliffs hiding under the seemingly innocent snow. Above them, the sky was a deep blue, barely any clouds in sight. If Aravae could forget about the looming threats and the fact that she was chilled to the bone and beginning to feel weary from lack of sleep, she would dare to venture that it was incredibly peaceful. 

 

They took a break after several hours to rest and eat a little bit of food. While they did, the raven cawed and flew off into the air, circling high above their heads. The two watched it as it changed directly and dove towards the ground some distance away. From its motions on the ground, they assumed it caught a mouse or some small rodent to feed on. Once they felt rested, they continued on, the raven following and landing on Aravae’s pack this time. She murmured under her breath that the raven was lucky it was light, because her pack was heavy enough. Solas chuckled softly at her.

 

It was a long, quiet day. The two barely spoke, but didn’t need to. There was no awkward silence hanging between them. They just pressed on, focused on reaching their destination as quickly as possible. As dusk had begun, the wind unfortunately picked up again, whistling in their ears and stirring up the snow around them. The raven cawed almost constantly in discomfort. Aravae didn’t even need to agree when Solas suggested they find shelter quickly. As they moved on, casting barriers around themselves to try and break the wind a little bit, Aravae thought she heard...something. Some strange noise, but she couldn’t quite decide what it was over all the wind. She brushed Solas’s aura and he stopped, turning towards her with confusion, which almost immediately shifted into alarm as he shouted and reached for his staff. 

 

Aravae spun around and barely had time to bring up her arms and cast a fresh barrier as a bear’s claw came crushing down on her. It punched right through her barrier and she screamed as she felt the skin on her right forearm get pierced through. Her ears rang as she smacked onto the snow, her arm throbbing. She forced her eyes to stay focused on the bear, which took a few steps back as Solas threw fireballs at it until he could stand in front of Aravae. She struggled to her feet, ignoring the blood that was soaked through what was left of her sleeve and staining the snow.

 

She started to reach for her staff when Solas raised his arms and summoned a wall of flames, which roared before them and melted all the surrounding snow, turning the ground beneath them mushy. On the other side, the bear grunted angrily and shifted its weight, looking like it was trying to decide if it should risk it. Solas held his ground with a fierce expression. The flames didn’t die down. The bear snorted and turned around, striding away. 

 

Solas let the flames go once he saw that the bear wasn’t turning back for more. He turned quickly, his hands already engulfed in green healing magic, demanding, “Let me see.”

 

Lifting her arm hurt much worse than what she expected. She winced, hot tears at the corners of her eyes, and grit her teeth as Solas examined it as gingerly as he could. She fought to look at him and not at her arm. She knew it was bad, she just wasn’t quite ready to see how bad. He poured his magic into it and she felt the pain lessen ever so slightly. She still could feel it burning. He looked at her deep in her eyes. “Can you walk? We need to find shelter so I can bandage it.”

 

Aravae nodded, swallowing thickly. She didn’t trust herself to speak. Solas secured his staff and took her left hand, pulling her along. She let her right arm hang down at her side limply. There was still a slight ringing in her ears, but she caught the faint caw of the raven as it landed atop her pack again. She glanced over her shoulder at it and thought sourly,  _ Thanks for the help. _

 

Normally, she wouldn’t have let something like that happen. A creature such as a bear, sneaking up on her? She knew it was because her exhaustion was weighing down on her. Her senses weren’t as sharp and she’d paid for it. Now her arm was pulsating with pain and she felt sleepier than before. Her eyelids were growing heavy as she fought to mentally tell her feet to keep moving. Her head sagged down and she stared at the ground just between her feet and Solas’s. 

 

Thankfully, he found a small area that would help break the wind for them and possibly even give them an opportunity to light a fire. It wasn’t quite a cave, but there was an area along a wall of rock that was indented inwards with two large boulders on either side. Solas melted what snow there was inside and knelt over to step in. He nodded and gestured for Aravae to follow. He shrugged off his own pack before gently helping Aravae get hers off, the raven fluttering around and settling on Solas’s pack on the ground. Solas then helped her to sit and inquired, “Can you possibly summon a flame so that I can see while I work?”

 

Again, she nodded silently and raised her left hand, calling forth a flame. Solas shooed the raven so that he could rummage through his pack. He found a small pouch with salve and a few bandage wrappings. Shifting back to her, he carefully brought her arm up and analyzed it. Aravae turned her head and looked at the darkening landscape outside. She felt him cast a little more healing magic, then warned her that he was going to rub the salve on. She hissed between her teeth and clenched her left fist as he did so. She knew he was being as gentle as he possibly could, but it still hurt so excruciatingly! She bit the inside of her lip until she could taste blood. There was a cooling sensation as he stopped rubbing the wound that felt slightly relieving, but it hurt all over again as he started to wrap it. 

 

“I’m done,” he said at last, letting her arm rest down at her side. She wordlessly dragged her gaze to look at it. Her entire forearm, from her elbow to her wrist, was wrapped up tightly. Already, some blood was leaking through. Solas added, “I’m sorry. I did what I could, but...it will definitely scar.”

 

Beginning to feel lightheaded, Aravae didn’t trust herself to speak more than a few syllables. “It’s okay. Ma serannas.”

 

“You should get some rest,” he suggested, lighting a flame in his own hand. “I will keep watch.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She mumbled a thanks to him, extinguished her flame, and pulled her pack towards her so that she could slowly untie the bedroll from the pack. She glanced around to see how she should lay it out so that she could be most comfortable. Once she did, her head resting down not too far from Solas, she let her eyes close with a sigh. Just before she felt herself slipping into sleep, she could have sworn she felt a hand brush against her cheek and adjust her hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Andaran atish'an, everyone! Sorry that this chapter ended up being juuust a little bit shorter than normal. I felt like it was a good break in the sequence before our two lovely elvhen people make it to Skyhold and investigate everything before welcoming the Inquisition there. Thank you all so much for reading and your kudos! They keep this story flowing!
> 
> I am going to do my best to get the next chapter out before my usual day, because my fiance and I are planning a camping trip for next week, so I will obviously be far, far away from any technology. Don't hate me! We've been together nearly six and a half years and have never actually had time for *us*, so we are using this early summer to our advantage before he goes off and starts his job. Excuses, excuses. >.<
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the barest hint of some teensy, tiny fluff. If you grab a magnifying glass, you can see it. No, really. Riiight...there! As always, want to chat, have suggestions, requests, anything of the sort, leave a comment and let me know! 
> 
> Also, don't forget to check out my Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/solverne
> 
> Occasionally, I will post previews or questionnaires if you want to know some random knowledge about either Aravae or Ena! Along with amazing fanart and other DA related things! I hope to see you all soon!


	14. Chapter 14

Ena tested out her weight on her feet while Dorian stood close by, ready to step in and steady her if need be. She wobbled a little, but overall felt well enough. She checked over everything in her head. Her shoulder and elbow were still very much in pain, but she could move them slightly. Breathing was more of a sting, but magic had mostly patched up her ribs. All in all, considering how close she’d been to just freezing to death a few nights ago, she considered herself to be in pretty good shape. She took a few uneven steps forwards the tent flap, Dorian tsking in disapproval. Focusing her golden eyes on him, she demanded, “What?”

 

“I know that our spymaster said she refused to burden you with anything until you were more physically capable, but come now… Please don’t push yourself.”

 

“I’m not pushing myself, Dorian. I promise I’m being reasonable.” She tilted a little, but corrected herself. “I can’t rest easy just knowing the basic information of Aravae and Solas being out there somewhere. I know Leliana has to have heard more from them.”

 

Dorian heaved a dramatic sigh. “Well, then. I wouldn’t want you to appear weak before your flock, dear Herald.” He ignored the daggers she shot at him. “At least allow me the honor of offering my arm to you?” He came to her side and held up his arm, as though he were about to escort her into some fancy location.

 

She pondered it for a moment, then smiled in agreement, looping her strong arm through his to allow herself a little bit of support. He led them outside of the tent where she’d been laying for a full two days, recovering with almost constant attention. Truth be told, she was losing her mind. She had also been alarmed when she’d been told that Aravae wasn’t coming to see her because she wasn’t in the camp anywhere, nor was Solas. When she inquired of it, Leliana clammed up and refused to tell her anything because she wanted Ena to focus on getting better so that they could all get moving. While it mildly irritated Ena, having information withheld from her, she understood where Leliana was coming from. The group had already spent much too long in their location and they were running low on what supplies they’d been able to bring.

 

People openly stared at Ena, lips parted, as she and Dorian strided slowly through the camp, making their way to the council’s tent. Ena did her best to do a small wave every now and then with her injured arm, but kept the smile on her lips. These people had lost enough and endured much over the last several days. The last thing they needed was to worry about the one who was supposed to save them. If they saw her in pain and struggling, they’d only lose hope.

 

When they entered the tent, Ena allowed herself to exhale sharply and slouch. She hated admitting to herself that even that little walk had caused her such discomfort. Still, she brought her eyes up to see Leliana, Cullen, Josephine, and Cassandra staring at her with mixtures of surprise and concern. Cassandra asked, “Are you sure you’re well enough to be up?”

 

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Ena smirked a little. “I’m here, Leliana. Please let me know what’s going on.”

 

A grin came to Leliana’s lips. “Very well, Herald. I must suggest: do not panic until I have finished speaking, yes?”

 

That statement made Ena feel a little grim, but she agreed.

 

“Solas originally set off alone with a raven to stay in contact. He had explored the Fade while we’d been here and he claims he found a location nearby that we could use for shelter. Not just for the Haven citizens, the mages, and ourselves, but apparently for a larger force. Room for the Inquisition to grow and oppose this Corypheus you told us of. Solas wanted to go and discover the route to get there. Aravae followed after him once she learned he left, claiming she wouldn’t be able to help you if she remained here.”

 

Though Ena didn’t speak aloud, she did raise an eyebrow.  _ That says a lot for Aravae. Clearly, she really trusts those around us. _

 

“Solas told me that this location was apparently guarded by ancient magics that he believed only elves could get through and other passerby wouldn’t even notice its existence. While on the way there, they were attacked by a bear. Aravae’s arm was badly injured, but she is okay. I received a raven just a short time ago. They have made it to the location. He called it ‘Skyhold’. They’ve done a rough examination of it and say that while there are damages to be fixed, the majority of the fort is whole and usable.” She paused to walk over to the table and pick up the letter, scanning over it. “They asked if they should return to us to lead us there or if the directions they gave us would be enough. I just sent the raven out telling them these would be sufficient. We’ll have some of our scouts go out ahead, just to make sure it’s safe enough for everyone. In the meantime, they will continue investigating this Skyhold.”

 

Ena was still trying to calm her heart down after imagining a bear going after her two friends. She forced herself to nod and say, “Yes, that sounds good.”

 

“We did have a few wagons we managed to bring,” Cullen pointed out. “We can pack most of the things away, but you can take some more time to recover by riding in one from time to time. We could set out as early as tomorrow morning.”

 

Not wanting to be the reason they waited any longer, Ena clenched her fists. “Yes, I agree. The sooner, the better.”

 

“I am personally sick of freezing,” Dorian muttered under his breath.

 

“Well, if we are all in agreement…” Josephine paused to look at the others, who gave no refusal. “Then I shall pass word along so that everyone can be ready at dawn.”

  

* * *

 

 

The caw of a raven, which echoed in the empty room, roused Aravae from her sleep. She coaxed her eyes open and felt a quick shudder crawl along her skin. Only mere inches away was Solas, still sleeping on his side, facing her, his lips barely parted as he took deep breaths. She quickly sat up, shot a glare at the bird for waking her, then glanced towards the fireplace, which still kindled a small flame. She stretched before forcing herself out of her warm bedroll and into the cold air. She took quick, almost tiptoeing steps over to the fire to throw a bit more wood on it, then rushed back over to stand on her bedroll. Though she had her wrappings on her feet, the stone beneath her was frigid to the touch. She grumpily slid her boots on and walked over to the raven, which had perched itself on some debris. There was a letter attached to its leg and she pulled it off and read it quickly.

 

By then, she heard Solas move about as he inhaled deeply. Sleep was thick in his voice as he inquired, “News?”

 

Aravae ran her fingers through her hair in a poor attempt to comb it. “Yes. They are on their way and said for us to just remain here. It’ll give us more time to examine everything a little more closely.”

 

“That’s for the best.” He sat up and ran a hand down his face before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Give me a little, and I’ll be ready.”

 

“I’ll need some time to wake up, myself.” Aravae began to stretch her arms above her head, but winced and brought her right arm back down, glaring at the bandages.

 

That sombered Solas as he rose to his feet. “Is your arm still in pain?”

 

“It’s mostly just sore. It doesn’t look like it bled last night.” She started fumbling with the wrapping on her arm, but when she was unable to get it untied, Solas stepped over to help. She mumbled a thanks to him. When he finished, she scrunched her face. The top side of her forearm was now decorated with four large gashes. They hadn’t bled, as she said, but the skin was still bright pink, dotted with dried blood. She didn’t mind the scars, necessarily, but she was still angry at herself for having let it happen.

 

Solas gazed at it with scrutiny. “Let me do one more round, just to be safe.”

 

She didn’t argue with him as he enveloped his hands with magic. She knew she wouldn’t win against him. Once he finished pouring a few more healing spells into it, she moved her arm around as a test. “Ma serannas, Solas. That feels much better.”

 

“Good. Well, I believe we will finish off the last of the food. I can go hunting later for us.”

 

“I’ll eat later. I’m not particularly hungry at the moment.” Solas’s words sunk in and Aravae blinked rapidly a few times. “You’re able to shapeshift again?”

 

“I’ve been able to for some time,” he confirmed. “It was only a short period after I awoke that I couldn’t. It’s been several months since then.”

 

“...I see. Well, I’m just going to go walk in the garden. Meet me there when you’re finished?”

 

“Ma nuvenin.”

 

Aravae walked out of the room that they’d occupied for the last couple of nights, her footsteps echoing around her as she entered the main hall. She gazed around wistfully. She hadn’t gone to Tarasyl’an Te’las-... 

 

Skyhold. She needed to get used to calling it by its translated name. 

 

She rarely visited Skyhold back in the times of Elvhenan, but the few times she had, she had enjoyed it. While it was a fortress, it was seldom attacked due to its strategic location. Even an avalanche would not bury it. Solas had had the structure built in secret from the rest of the pantheon...much like most everything else he had done. She felt safe within these walls, but she recalled how it once used to be lively. The halls were filled with other elvhen. There was music, dancing, feasts; When they weren’t preparing for another battle, at least. She could almost hear Elgara’s beautiful voice filling the room, but...

 

The silence was deafening, pressing down on her ears. She clenched her hands into fists and hurried out the door that would take her to the garden. 

 

The rest of the fortress was such a wreck, Aravae wasn’t sure what she was expecting by going to the garden. The weeds were running amuck, having killed whatever herbs or flowers that had once flourished there. They were crawling up the stone pillars and were covering the well. It made her heart sink even more. She took slow steps towards the well and started tugging at the weeds with her hands. They held tightly to the stone. For a moment, Aravae cursed Skyhold’s powerful magic to reflect the cold and keep it relatively warm within its boundaries. In the normal weather, most of the weeds would be long dead.

 

She pulled and tore them until she was satisfied with the cover of the well being exposed to fresh air once more. She glowered around at the unkept grounds. She would help bring back at least part of the Skyhold she’d once known. People would soon walk the corridors again, even though they weren’t elvhen.

 

For some reason, that put a stabbing sensation in her chest. She looked up to the sky, taking deep breaths, refusing to swallow the knot in her throat.

 

Her people were not going to return. She knew that. Even if Solas accomplished his mission and everything went according to plan, they would not be the people she once knew. It would be another world. Another  _ different _ world. She wasn’t sure if she could take that again. Once was more than enough.

 

“Aravae?”

 

She glanced over her shoulder in silent response.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

With a heavy sigh, she said, “...I will be. For now, are you ready?”

 

She knew by the continued look of concern that he wanted to press the issue. Thankfully, he did not. There was a lingering silence before he stated, “Yes.”

 

It was a long day as they strode through every nook and cranny of Skyhold, Solas showing her a few areas that she hadn’t even been aware existed. Some spots, they were unable to go thanks to how worn down everything was. Many of the walls were collapsing, essentially all the wood was rotten, but surprisingly, anything that Solas knew had been left behind by he or his followers was missing. As they gazed over the battlements, Aravae commented, “That at least means there won’t be anything here that can connect you to Fen’harel. Perhaps others have discovered this place and used it throughout the ages.”

 

“Perhaps,” he muttered.

 

His tone slightly amused Aravae. “What? Does that upset you? Wouldn’t you rather it be used by someone who needs it?”

 

“I just...don’t like not knowing who was actually using it.”

 

“Are you being territorial? My, how wolfish.”

 

Solas arched a brow. “More than territorial, I’m protective over what is mine.”

 

“Is that so… I suppose that doesn’t surprise me.”

 

“How so?”

 

Aravae gave a light shrug and opened the door leading into the central tower on the battlements. The dust that rose itched her throat and made her cough. “It just...makes sense to me.”

 

Solas hummed in his throat, but said no more. He silently trained his eyes over the room, frowning at the upper level and to the ceiling, where there was a gaping hole in it. Aravae pressed on, continuing out of the tower and along the battlements. She gazed out at the frozen river and beyond at the landscape. She mumbled, “I forgot how much I liked it here. Especially in summer.”

 

“Ah, yes. You never cared much for the cold, did you?”

 

“It’s not as bad if there’s snow. Which there seems to be no shortage of here.” She crossed her arms, being careful with her injury. “At least then there is a reason for my being cold. I’m not needlessly suffering. In the summer, it’s just the right temperature here and all the greenery is beautiful.”

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

“...Solas?”

 

“Yes?”

 

Aravae came to a halt and turned her head upwards, the wind whipping her messy hair around. Without turning to look at him, she paused, taking a moment to decide on her words. “You don’t want to tear down the Veil, do you?”

 

The question caught him slightly off guard. Just as he opened his mouth to reply, Aravae continued.

 

“You’re offering the Inquisition - Ena, mostly - your own personal fortress. If you were truly going to tear down the Veil and continue on with your plan, you would have kept this hidden away for your own personal use in the not too distant future.”

 

“How do you suppose? Perhaps I am just allowing the Inquisition to come in and repair it for me.”

 

“Between you, me, and several other well trained elvhen mages, we could do it ourselves in almost no time at no true expense other than energy. Perhaps back then, that’s what you would have done...but not now.”

 

“You believe I have changed?”

 

“I know you have.” Aravae turned slowly, pushing her bangs out of her face. “As have I. May I say something?”

 

“You haven’t held back much before.” The corners of his lips creased.

 

She took a step closer to him, more than within arms’ reach. “Solas, I don’t want you to feel like you have to do it out of obligation. So you tried to protect us all and failed and altered the very course of the world. I can understand why you feel a duty to try and fix things, but I want to emphasize that...it’s been thousands and thousands of years. Our people, our history, has all but been erased. Now there are other races, other beings, their history, their way of life. If you were to go through with your plan, you would be doing the same to them, but it would be by choice.” Her brows furrowed. “I don’t think you truly want that kind of blood on your hands.”

 

“The healers often have the bloodiest hands,” he responded almost instantly.

 

“What, you believe the world is sick? I suppose I do as well. Still, I couldn’t just sit by and allow you to do that to yourself.”

 

A hint of irritation flashed in Solas’s eyes. “While I appreciate your concern, Aravae, I don’t need your protection.”

 

Her nostrils flared as she dared to take another step closer, almost standing directly in his face, the man not backing away. “Dirthara-ma! I know you don’t. I  _ worry _ about my best friend, because if I didn’t, you certainly wouldn’t.”

 

Solas parted his lips, but then gritted his teeth, biting back whatever he was about to say. In a tone of practiced, but limited, patience, he inquired sharply, “Then what would you do if you were in my place?”

 

There was a pregnant silence with nothing but the wind blowing while Aravae considered, though she still refused to back down. “I’ve asked myself that many times, truth be told. It isn’t that I judge you by your decisions, I merely wonder if there’s other ways of going about it. Have you visited any temples since awakening?”

 

“I’ve looked for a few, but all I found were next to completely destroyed. Not even the sentinels remained.”

 

“But not all? My proposal would be to look for the rest of the temples. There have to be  _ some _ of them left alive. They’re just waiting, still sleeping. If we could gather enough, we could try to rewrite our history. We have nothing but time. It would take probably decades. But if we could convince the Dalish that we are truly elvhen from Arlathan, we can tell them what happened. What their vallaslin means, what the evanuris did, how Fen’harel isn’t the great trickster and villain that he’s been made out to be.” Aravae held her hands out in a pleading motion, wanting Solas to respond in  _ some _ way to her words, instead of the neutral mask he was displaying. “We would have to be persistent, that’s for certain. We could track down more eluvians, visit old places, try to piece things back together in some ways that we could. We could even attempt at creating cities again, only accessible via eluvian. We would have just to  _ try _ . Even if we began by just telling Ena the truth… If she were to accept it, we could even have the aid of the Inquisition.”

 

His mask chipped away a little as he sighed softly. “There you go again.” When she raised a puzzled eyebrow, he explained, “‘We’.”

 

“What, you think I would abandon you and leave you to this endeavor by yourself?”

 

“I just… I’m not used to hearing it.”

 

“With how persistent I am, I thought you might be used to it by now.”

 

He gave off a quiet, throaty chuckle. “Persistent indeed.”

 

It grew quiet again between them as Solas fell into thought. Aravae watched, analyzing his expressions, trying to get a read on what was going through his mind. She didn’t push for him to give her an answer. Perhaps he thought it had entirely no chance. She wouldn’t be surprised if he did reject it. It was rather idealistic, after all. Rather, the more  _ she _ thought about it, the sillier it sounded in her head. She cast her gaze down, tucking her chin a little in shame. “It was just a preliminary idea-”

 

She was cut off as Solas reached out and tilted her head back up, his thumb on her chin. His expression was gentle and welcoming. “Don’t feel ashamed for sharing it. Optimistic though it may be...I promise to give it some serious thought. Thank you.”

 

A smile spread to her face before she realized it. “You’re welcome.”

 

They separated and continued on their inspection walk, though neither of them talked much after that. Once they felt that they had covered every inch of the fortress, it was dusk. They walked to the entrance courtyard together, where Solas underwent his shapeshifting. White fur, not black, sprung from his skin, hands melded into large paws with claws, he sunk down to all fours, his muzzle grew out and flashed with dangerously sharp teeth. However, his eyes were still the same shade of blue. While he was much larger than a normal wolf, he was currently not the massive beast he was made out to be. He  _ could _ alter his form to become the black, six-eyed monster, but he had only done that to strike fear into his enemies. Aravae personally much preferred the white wolf. He looked to her, gave a small nod, and ran off down the bridge, off to hunt down food for them for the next several days until the rest of the Inquisition arrived.

 

She walked back into the fortress and started a new fire in the room they were occupying just off the main hall. She sat close to it, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Sighing happily as she felt the warmth spread through her body, she closed her eyes and once more, imagined the old elvhen singing that used to fill the halls.

 

* * *

 

Ena panted heavily as she looked at the next peak. She was a short ways ahead of the main group, accompanied for the moment by Bull and Krem. While was was feeling much better due to all the attention she’d been getting from the healers, she was still pushing herself too hard each day they’d been traveling. Seeing it all with his trained Ben-Hassrath eye, Bull had been sticking close to her to help out in any way he could. Krem tagged along with them, talking with Ena a bit to help distract her from her discomfort, sharing stories of jobs they had undergone with the Bull’s Chargers. Ena had to admit that she enjoyed listening to them, laughing at just about each and every one of them.

 

Now, though, she knew they were close to their destination. Each mountain they’d gone over felt like it took forever, but knowing they were so close only made it worse. Every step took ten times as much energy. Each hill and slope looked taller and steeper.

 

She was ready to get everyone out of the cold and  _ rest _ . She felt like she could sleep for days on any kind of ground, so long as it was free of snow. She also knew that unfortunately, she wouldn’t be able to.

 

“What’s up, Boss? You’re slowing down. Need a break?”

 

“No,” the Dalish woman grumbled. “Just ready to stop climbing mountains.”

 

“Want me to carry you? You’re so small, you could ride on my shoulder and see even further.” Bull grinned, seemingly excited about that idea.

 

“No, thank you… I don’t want the others to see me being carried. They’re already getting more worn out by the hour. The people don’t need to see any special treatment beyond those that are truly injured.”

 

“Yeah, you’ve got a point. Still, though, just say the word and I’ll have Krem collapse on the ground.”

 

Krem glared at the qunari. “Sure, volunteer up the weak human.”

 

“Yeah.” Bull grinned. “And the Vint! We have a double winner.”

 

Krem gave an exasperated sigh. He turned his eyes back up to their path and squinted. “Call me crazy, but...it looks like there’s someone up there?”

 

Ena looked to where he was and felt a burst of energy. She picked up her pace, trudging through the snow. Waiting for them at the top was definitely Aravae and Solas. They had arrived! Her friends were there, they were alive, seemingly uninjured, and it flooded her with relief. As she drew close enough, she could see the smile on Aravae’s face. The two rushed towards each other and embraced, Aravae careful not to squeeze too hard. Once they parted, Ena then went to Solas, wrapping her arms around him as well. Though he was surprised, and even displayed it on his face, he slowly returned the hug. As she released him, she said breathlessly, “I’m so glad you two are okay.”

 

“It looks like you all made it,” Aravae said, looking past her at Bull and Krem and then down to the large crowd.

 

“Most, yes. We did lose some to the cold and injuries,” Bull informed them.

 

“Well, we knew you couldn’t be far off, so we have plenty of fires going inside.” Aravae stepped back, allowing Ena a full view of the keep, just ahead of them. “Welcome to Skyhold.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it! I managed to get the chapter out! I'm so excited!
> 
> At the same time, my apologies. It turned out being mostly dialogue. With that said, do you feel like there's things lacking in the story? Action? Certain character developments? Certain character interactions? Please feel free to share your opinions with me. As long as it isn't outright nasty words, I promise constructive criticism won't hurt my feelings. I don't want you all to grow bored with the story. :)
> 
> Dirthara-ma - "May you learn" (used as a curse) ((Yes, I...sort of had Aravae curse at him?))
> 
> Alrighty! Plot wise, here is where I really hope to pick things up. Aravae has shared her suggestion to Solas and he is considering it. They are at Skyhold and things are about to start going down! Is Solas going to allow Aravae to go through with possibly telling Ena the truth about who they are? Guess you'll have to wait and see~! ;)
> 
> Also, I know that I didn't have the scene with The Dawn Will Come, but I will attempt to do something else of equal magnitude to trigger a deep conversation between Ena and Solas. To brainstorming I go.
> 
> Thank you all so much for sticking with me and getting this far. Again, I hope this chapter wasn't too much of a bore. I hope to see you all next week!


	15. Chapter 15

Ena wiped sweat from her brow and stood upright, breathing heavily. It was still bizarre to her; the magics of ancient elves. Skyhold was not near as freezing as it was outside of its borders. It was much warmer, warm enough that the people and animals wouldn’t get chilled as much and the plants wouldn’t wither and die. That made repair work much easier to tolerate. When they entered the walls of the fortress, she and council made several decisions. They needed to grow. They needed to prevent the assassination of the Empress of Orlais. They needed to find out more about Corypheus. She, personally, wanted to pay the bastard back for all the injuries he’d given her and all the lives he’d taken back at Haven. First and foremost, they needed to make Skyhold whole again.

 

It was the afternoon of the seventh day and she was exhausted. She was mostly helping move lumber around and equipment that was needed. She passed by many of the inner circle throughout the days, each one - even Sera - putting forth all their effort. During the process, Ena silently praised herself for making the decision of going for Fiona and her mages instead of the templars. Yes, the templars would be a big help, but the mages were able to use their magic to move extremely heavy things around and hold them there while others hammered them into place. She knew that Aravae, Solas, Dorian, and Vivienne were working themselves ragged. Each time she’d seen them, they were covered in sweat, sipping lyrium potions, or passed out asleep. Now that they were in a safer location, they had better room and a better environment for working on the wounded, so the mages weren’t needed quite as much for that.

 

“Some water, Your Worship?”

 

The small voice broke Ena out of her train of thought. She glanced down and saw a young human boy with a bucket of water and a ladle. He was smiling shyly, offering the ladle of water to her. She smiled back and knelt down, taking the ladle from him. A refreshing feeling washed over her as she gulped down the cold water. “Thank you very much. You’re a big help.”

 

“Thank you, Your Worship. Would you like any more, ma’am?”

 

“No, thank you. That was plenty enough for me. I’m sure there’s others around that would like some, though.”

 

The boy nodded enthusiastically. “As you say, Your Worship! Excuse me.”

 

Ena nodded at the polite boy and watched as he scurried off as fast as he could with the heavy bucket, offering it to more people. She stood back up and pulled all of her hair up into a single ponytail, even pulling her bangs back and exposing the rest of her vallaslin. She exhaled sharply and stretched her arms, thankful that her injuries were all but gone, then looked to one of the soldiers. “What else do you need?”

 

The man looked around and waved a hand in the air. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Your Worship, I believe we have everything over here under control. Thank you for your help. Why don’t you take a break?”

 

Ena raised a disbelieving eyebrow, but nodded and walked away from the area where they were repairing the stone bridge leading to the central tower on the battlements. Everywhere in the hold, there was the clunking of wood being moved, the clattering of stone, and the banging of hammers. There was most likely not a quiet place to be found there. Not yet, anyways. It wouldn’t be long. More people arrived to Skyhold with each passing day and it only made their efforts move along that much swifter.

 

She made her way near the stairs, where Cullen had set up a temporary desk for everyone to report to him there. Currently, Bull and Stitches, his healer of his company, where speaking with the commander with concerned expressions. She made her way over to them. “Is everything okay?”

 

The three looked at her, then shared a glance with each other. Cullen rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, Herald, put bluntly, we need more resources. We’ve sent out scouts to get a feel of the area and we could probably let a few more go since we’ve made good progress on reparations.”

 

“I need more elfroot for poultices,” Stitches inerjected. “Much more than what’s been found so far.”

 

“I can go out and find some more,” Ena offered without hesitation.

 

Bull clapped her on the shoulder. “Haha, I knew you’d say that, Boss! I could send Skinner and Dalish out with you, too.”

 

“I-... Well...are you _sure_ your injuries have healed enough for you to-?”

 

“Take a breath, Commander,” Ena said with a tease in her tone. “I’m not going out to fight, just gather herbs. I’m fine.”

 

Cullen sighed lightly. “Very well, if you’re certain.”

 

“I am. If we leave now, we should be able to locate enough by nightfall-”

 

“Your Worship.”

 

Loathe the title as she may, Ena still knew she needed to respond to it. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a messenger standing there, straight as could be, waiting to be addressed. “Yes?”

 

“Lady Nightingale requests your presence as soon as you’re able, messere.”

 

“Tell her I’ll be there shortly.” The messenger saluted and rushed off while Ena turned her attention back to the others with a mixture of apology and annoyance. She knew that whatever Leliana needed was most likely urgent, especially since she sent a messenger to come find her. At the same time, she was looking forward to getting out of the keep for a short time and performing the simple chore of finding herbs.

 

Reading her expression, Bull said, “Hey, it’s alright, Boss. I’ll still send Skinner and Dalish out to get some. You go see what Red needs.”

 

“Thanks, Bull. I’ll leave you guys to it, then. Excuse me.”

 

“Of course,” she heard Cullen reply as she turned on heel to walk away.

 

She trudged up the many steps leading to the courtyard, then the last ones to enter the main hall, where they were making great progress. In the large room, all of the debris had been cleared away, though the sides were still blocked by large scaffolding. She went off to the right and entered the large round room that apparently Solas had claimed for himself. She’d seen him in it when he was resting, though occasionally, he was silently staring up at the walls, a piqued expression of interest on his face. She hadn’t asked what he was planning yet.

 

Up more stairs she climbed until she came to the rookery, where Leliana had set up her desk and ravens, the birds cawing insistently. The spymaster was gazing out a freshly cleaned window when Ena approached her. Clutched in her hand was a letter. Hearing Ena’s footsteps reverberating, Leliana faced her and offered up the letter grimly. The golden eyed woman read it carefully. When she finished, she came close to snarling. “The Fallow Mire is south, right?”

 

“Yes, south of the Hinterlands. I fully believe the accuracy of this report, since it came from Harding. We must decide on action, quickly. There’s no telling what the Avaar will do if we wait too long.” Leliana crossed her arms. There was a hint of relief in her eyes. “At least they aren’t in Corypheus’s clutches.”

 

“How do we know the Avaar couldn’t be working with him?”

 

“My people have kept a strict watch. They haven’t seen any signs of red lyrium, red templars, the archdemon, Venatori, anything. However, they aren’t sure if this would be the Avaar declaring war on you yourself as the Herald of Andraste or if they’re wanting to attack the Inquisition. The only way to find out the answers for sure is going in person to deal with this.”

 

“I agree.” Ena tapped her finger on the side of her thigh as she considered her options. “As much as I would like to leave today, anyone that I would want to bring with me is exhausted from helping out around Skyhold. I could let them know so that they could rest up and we could leave first thing tomorrow morning?”

 

“That sounds like a good option to me. I’ll send word to Dennet so that he can have horses prepared for you. Who will you be bringing?”

 

“We should keep it small so that we can move quickly… I suspect a decent amount of fighting, so… Bull and Blackwall seem to mesh well together. And perhaps Vivienne? The Fallow Mire has plenty of undead, so her fire would be useful against them.” When she saw Leliana raise an eyebrow, she inquired, “What?”

 

“Nothing. I just figured you’d take Aravae along. You two have been nearly inseparable since your arrival.”

 

“She’s been working hard, she helped Solas find this place, and she’s been constantly watching my back. If anyone deserves a break, she does. Not that she would agree with me. If anything, she’ll most likely argue with me.”

 

A ghost of a smile graced Leliana’s lips. “She’s quite the loyal friend, isn’t she?”

 

“That she is,” Ena agreed. She thought perhaps for a moment that Leliana was going to follow up with her comment, but she said no more on the topic.

 

“Jim?” she called. One of the messengers from the other side of the circular room came over. “Please go ask Josephine and Cassandra to meet me at Cullen’s desk. I’d like to discuss a few things with them.”

 

“Ma’am.”

 

“Well, I’ll leave you to it to let them know that they’re going with you.”

 

Ena nodded. “Right. I’ll go and let them know. Thanks, Leliana.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Ena set off back down the stairs and went looking for those three people in particular. She spotted Vivienne first. The dark skinned woman was taking a break under the shade of the few small trees that were growing in the courtyard, fanning herself with her hand after she wiped away some sweat. She greeted Ena as she came closer. Though her face was minorly disgusted by the mention of where they would be going, she agreed to help Ena in the bog.

 

_That went over easier than if I’d tried to ask Dorian to go,_ she thought.

 

She found the two men she was looking for up on the battlements, helping move large stones around to help repair parts of the wall. Both agreed almost instantly once she asked for them to come along. She thanked them, then began walking away before coming to a halt. “Have either of you seen Aravae today?” she asked.

 

Bull shrugged. Blackwall paused, then pointed along the battlements. “I believe I saw her earlier in one of the northwestern towers.”

 

Ena thanked him once more and strided along the battlements, enjoying the breeze that seemed to be almost always blowing. She let her hair down and glanced down towards all of the workers. Spotting the war council standing together, she saw several heads nod. _What sort of miracle is this? They’re agreeing on something?_ She smirked to herself.

 

She made her way into one of the potential towers that Aravae could be in, pressing herself close to the wall so that she wouldn’t be in the way. She looked up the stairs, straining to see. Catching a glimpse of a familiar sweater, she called, “Solas! Have you seen Aravae?”

 

The hedge mage peered over the side of the second floor. “She went to go take a break. I’m not sure where.”

 

“Okay. Thanks.”

 

Solas nodded and disappeared, going back to whatever he was doing.

 

Ena felt like she was going on a wild goose chase, searching for her friend. She didn’t find her in any of the towers, the courtyard, the barn, or the main building of the keep. None of the others she’d spoken to had seen her. Finally, she spotted her when she stumbled into the gardens. The mahogany haired woman was kneeled in the dirt, intently tugging at weeds alongside many others, her hair pulled back in a tight braid. For some reason, Ena felt that she looked incredibly determined, more so than she’d seen her since they arrived, to the point that she didn’t want to disturb her. But the two hadn’t had much time to speak since they’d been so preoccupied with fixing up the fortress and Ena wanted to chat with her before she left to go to the Fallow Mire.

 

She walked over and took a moment before saying, “I heard you were supposed to be taking a break, lethallan.”

 

Aravae’s fair skin was flushed in the cheeks, her bangs sticking to her. She tossed her handful of weeds to a nearby basket and stood erect. “What can I say? Solas shooed me and I _meant_ to rest, but I ended up here instead.”

 

“You just can’t stand sitting still,” Ena accused teasingly as Aravae made her way over to her.

 

“I can!” Aravae insisted. “...When the opportunity truly calls for it. Anyways, did you come to point out my flaws, or did you want to talk?”

 

“You always know, don’t you?”

 

“Well…” Aravae rubbed her hands together, trying to wipe some of the dirt away, her gaze not quite meeting Ena’s. “I have something I’d like to talk to you about as well.”

 

Ena wasn’t sure what to think, judging by Aravae’s tone. It took her a moment to nod. “Would you like to find somewhere more private?”

 

“Yes. I have a place in mind.”

 

“Okay, lead on.”

 

Aravae led her from the gardens, through the main hall, and down the first set of stairs. She veered off towards an unlikely door.

 

“The prison?”

 

Aravae swung the door open. “Just… Come on. Trust me.”

 

Ena continued to follow, closing the door behind them. It seemed that the prisons were the one place that wasn’t entirely swarmed with activity. Aravae waltzed through them and took Ena through another door along the back wall. The redhead glanced around, not having explored further in the prisons before. There were older cells, but just about the entire floor itself had crumbled away, falling into the waterfall just underneath them. She glanced nervously at Aravae, but the older woman was taking confident steps towards the left. She pressed on after her. They went down a small walkway on the left that had Ena praying to the Creators that it wasn’t going to crumble underneath their weight. The walkway led around to the backside of the keep, but abruptly ended just after a small area that was just large enough for maybe three people to stand. For the two of them, it was more than enough room. Aravae pressed her back against the wall and slid down into a sitting position. Ena slowly sunk beside her, still not entirely trusting the stone.

 

Her nerves began to settle the longer they sat there. The view was incredible, looking out towards the grand mountains behind Skyhold. She couldn’t hear anything other than the slightly muffled roar of the waterfall, thanks to the small wall that was now between them, and the wind. She didn’t hear any of the work going on from their location whatsoever. It was strangely peaceful. She pondered how Aravae found it.

 

Seeing that Aravae still appeared to be struggling internally with whatever she wanted to talk about, Ena started them off. “I got word back about the missing soldiers in the bog. They’re being held by Avaar in the Fallow Mire. They’re demanding to meet with me, or else they’ll kill our people.”

 

Aravae pursed her lips. “I see. I assume you’re going?”

 

“Of course. But…” Ena’s shoulders sagged forward. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I’d like you to stay here for this one.” Remaining silent, Aravae gave her a puzzled look. “It’s just, you’ve been with me constantly since we went to the Conclave. You’ve been looking out for me, helping me… I want you to take a breather, no matter how small. If that means staying here and helping pull the weeds from the garden, then so be it.”

 

Aravae nodded slowly, her eyes drifting back towards the mountains. “Who are you taking?”

 

“Bull, Blackwall, and Vivienne.”

 

The silence that followed dragged on just long enough to make Ena start preparing an argument in her head, to defend her reasoning. It stunned her a little to hear Aravae say, “I understand. I...appreciate you thinking of me. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be sure to tell you when I feel that too much is too much.”

 

“I know you would.” Ena paused. “I can also see that you’re really pouring your heart into repairing this place. If you’re here helping out, I’m sure it’ll be done in no time.”

 

Something flashed in Aravae’s eyes that Ena couldn’t put her finger on. Had she said something?

 

“That...brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about, I suppose. In a way. Well...sort of.”

 

Now Ena was beginning to worry. She’d never seen Aravae so frazzled as to babble. She was a woman who chose her words and said them, not stumbling over them. “What is it?” she nearly whispered.

 

“I…” Aravae inhaled deeply. “I have something big to tell you. I feel bad for keeping it from you for so long, but… I wasn’t entirely sure if you were ready to know. Then, it became a matter of...me being worried about your reaction, I suppose.” She glanced towards Ena out of the corner of her eye, though not looking directly at her. “However, I’m not ready to tell any of the others. Would you be willing to keep a secret?”

 

Ena could feel the weight of Aravae’s words. Whatever it was, it was serious, especially for her to ask for a secret to be kept. Still, she took a moment to consider the repercussions of her answer. “...Yes.”

 

A humorless grin came to Aravae’s face. She looked up towards the peaks of the mountains. “The Dalish seek to travel, investigate ancient ruins, and recover knowledge of the old elven empire, correct?”

 

“Yes…” Ena trailed off momentarily, not sure where she was going with this. “We are the Dalish: keepers of the lost lore, walkers of the lonely path. We are the last of the Elvhenan and never again shall we submit.”

 

“What do you know about the Elvhenan?”

 

Her question almost sounded like a test. “The Elvhenan used to have immortal lives before the arrival of the shemlens. The Tevinter Imperium founded and began attacking, slowly chipping away at the old cities. With the shemlens drawing closer and closer, the Elvhenan no longer were immortal and began to die of disease and age. The ancient civilization was eventually broken down in the Dales, and the Dalish clans were founded, each named after one surviving Elvhenan. The Dalish are the purest bloodline leading back to the ancients.”

 

Again, Aravae was quiet. Ena began to feel unsure, but not before she felt a small fire light inside her. She knew that Aravae had never truly cared for the Dalish and their ways, but she’d always been courteous enough to never say anything to the clan that had saved her life. She knew that Solas felt similarly, but he wasn’t usually quick to bite his tongue. She disliked her way of life being attacked by others.

 

“There’s no easy way to say this, ma falon.” Aravae at last shifted her head to meet Ena’s eyes. “What if I told you that just about everything you knew was wrong?”

 

Her question slammed Ena and only fueled her fire. “How? The Keepers have the Arlathvhen every decade and share new knowledge, discoveries, and relics. If anything, we are learning more! How could you prove everything is wrong?”

 

“Because I am one of the elvhen from Arlathan,” Aravae blurted.

 

The breath rushed from Ena. “You-... What?”

 

Aravae’s stance seemed to relax, as if a massive weight were lifted from her shoulders. She took several deep breaths, Ena too stunned to say anything with her mouth gaping open in utter confusion. “I am truly one of the elvhen. I was alive and lived in Arlathan. I am, needless to say, thousands of years old.”

 

Ena managed to close her mouth, but she was still trying to remind herself to breathe. She felt dizzy, lightheaded. Her mouth felt dry. Most of all, her heart pounded so heavily, she could have sworn she felt its beat in her head. When she spoke, it was incredibly soft, “If...you are, then...how have you lived all these years? I mean...how are you alive?”

 

“I fell into uthenera - the eternal waking dream. It’s… It wasn’t uncommon for one of the elvhen to just fall asleep, but not wake for centuries. That is what happened to me. The fall of the elvhen, the loss of my family, was too much for me.” Her voice choked. “I went to sleep, hoping I would never wake up.”

 

“But you did,” whispered Ena.

 

“I did,” she concurred. “I literally fell asleep in one world and woke in an entirely new one. The magic had declined at such a drastic level. Everything I knew once was gone. There weren’t even any other elvhen for me to find. All that I see in this world, including the Dalish, are all shemlens.”

 

Ena felt like she’d had the wind knocked out of her again. She could feel the hot sting of tears in her eyes, but she refused to blink, refused to swallow the knot in her throat that was making it even harder to draw breath. “So...we’re...not even people to you?”

 

Aravae’s words came quickly now, more easily. “Thedas as a whole? Barely. There are certain few, such as yourself, that I would consider people. When I have said before that I care for you and love you like a little sister, I meant that. I’ve always had your back.”

 

“I don’t doubt that,” Ena found herself saying with surety. “But I just… I mean… This is…”

 

“To say that it’s something enormous to take in is an understatement, I understand.”

 

“Yes, I… Yes, that’s a good way to put it.” Ena ran both of her hands through her hair, grasping it for a long moment. “I guess… Well, I’ve always thought of you as an older sister, just…” She barked a short laugh. “Just not that much older. I think I’ve always suspected that there was something...different about you, but...I guess you were careful enough, because I could never quite get a read on it, and that annoyed me.”

 

“Well, as you can imagine, not others would take it...nearly as well as you are, honestly. I was expecting…” Aravae shrugged slowly. “I’m not sure what I was. Rejection, perhaps. Like I said, I was worried about how you would take this.” Her expression fell, the rest of her body sagging slightly, like the weight was being pressed back down on top of her. “This is probably the easiest part.”

 

Ena was about to ask what she meant, but she waited. Aravae had mentioned that everything Ena knew about her people, her culture, was inaccurate. Her breaths grew shallow and she began to feel queasy. “Is everything...truly wrong?”

 

Aravae looked at her, eyes swimming with sympathy. “...Yes, for the most part.”

 

Ena was glad that Aravae didn’t say anything after that. The landscape began to shift around her, spinning slowly. She shut her eyes and leaned back against the stone wall, but even in darkness, she still felt like she was spinning. She wanted it to stop, but her mind was too busy racing faster than it ever had been before. Infinite questions began rushing through her.

 

How did Arlathan fall?

 

The Creators? Were they false?

 

The ruins, everything they learned from them, were they all misinterpreted?

 

Their vallaslin-

 

Their weapons-

 

The aravels-

 

Their stories-

 

The halla-

 

Their _language_ -

 

Aravae’s hand reached out and touched her shoulder tenderly, nearly causing her to jump. It was enough to bring pause, even for just a few seconds, to the whirlwind in her mind. However, the unanswered questions brought forth a river of emotions, and Ena sobbed as she felt the tears slide away from her eyes and down her cheeks. She didn’t hold it back as she normally did. She took deep, gasping breaths and pitched forward, an ugly wail sounding from her. Aravae closed whatever little distance there was between them and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close and letting her cry into her shoulder. She rubbed her back with one hand and held the back of her head gently with the other.

 

Aravae wasn’t sure if she heard her, but she murmured into her hair, “When you’re ready, I will answer all the questions I can, lethallan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello once more, everyone! I managed to write this in two days and I am so damn proud of myself. This whole week I am going to be in a hotel by myself, alone with my thoughts, my notes, and my stories, so I plan on trying to get ahead in the story so that I can make sure I update on time! With that said, at the same time, when I get burnt out and need a break, I will be bored, so I will be on my Tumblr a lot. Feel free to drop by!
> 
> The big reveal has been made! Well, part of it, at least. Is she going to make the admission about Solas, as well? Hmm, guess we'll see...!
> 
> Fair warning: I see one of the next chapters (not necessarily the next) being mostly dialogue. Not quite filler, but not fully plot progressing, either. Lots of questions about Arlathan, maybe the Dales, and Aravae's explanation on stuff. Anything in specific you'd like me to mention? Let me know!
> 
> As always, thank you all so, so much for your kudos and lovely comments. I love reading and responding to them and talking with you guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one! Who knows, maybe if there's well enough response, I may post the next one early... Hehehe...
> 
> See you all soon! <3


	16. Chapter 16

Ena had spent quite some time pouring out her tears and soaking Aravae’s shoulder. She wasn’t just crying over what she had learned about her closest friend, but about everything that had happened since the Breach opened. They had gone through so much and both had their share of hardships during that time. She had all but managed to hold it together except for when she was haunted by the future she saw in Redcliffe. She had all of her pent up emotions that were spilling out since her wall holding them all back had broken. Aravae just sat and held her the entire time, though she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that she was still waiting for Ena to push her away, to scream at her, or just something of the nature of rejection.

 

But she never did.

 

When she finally ran out of tears, she slowly pulled away from Aravae, sniffling horribly and rubbing her face. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself and regain some semblance of composure. When her reddened golden eyes glanced around, they landed on Aravae’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, you got all wet…”

 

Aravae scoffed and shook her head. “I’m not worried about it at all. Be quiet.”

 

Though she still was sniffling, Ena cracked the faintest grin. “I… I have so many things to ask you, but...I don’t think I’m ready to hear any of them just yet.”

 

“I understand. Take the time you’re gone to the Fallow Mire to let it all sink in. I will still be here when you return, I’m not going anywhere.” Aravae stood upright, offering a hand to help Ena. “Just make sure it doesn’t distract you and get yourself hurt.”

 

“I won’t,” Ena promised as she accepted the assistance. She exhaled sharply and nodded briskly, looking out at the scenery one last time before focusing on Aravae. “Okay. I should be ready enough to get to my tent. I want to just turn in for the night.”

 

“I don’t blame you. I can try and make sure no one bothers you.”

 

“It’s okay. I think I can manage with at least just a little quiet time. Oh, Aravae?” Ena called just as her friend began to make her way along the small stone path. The woman stopped and peered over her shoulder in question. “I won’t tell anyone.”

 

“Ma serannas, lethallan.”

 

“Of course. Now, shall we?”

 

Nearly as soon as they left the prison and walked into the courtyard, Cassandra swooped in on them. She made a quick inquiry to Ena if she was alright, but the Dalish woman waved it off, assuring her she was fine. Though she didn’t look like she entirely bought it, Cassandra said nothing more about it, but requested that Ena walk with her. She nodded to Aravae, silently telling her once more that she would be okay. Aravae watched them take rather slow steps, Cassandra doing most of the talking, as she made her way down the stairs towards the entrance.

 

When she saw that there was a large crowd gathered, she nearly froze on the steps. She spotted Solas towards the front of the group, not far behind where Cullen and Josephine were standing. As she made her way towards him, she glanced up to where most of the eyes were set at and saw Leliana standing on the small landing on the stairs, a grand sword in her hands. The people in Aravae’s way parted for her so that she could stand by Solas. “What in the world is going on?”

 

“I’m not entirely sure. I just got here myself,” he admitted. “Though judging by the Herald’s expression, she wasn’t prepared, either.”

 

Aravae could see the stunned expression on Ena’s face as she and Cassandra continued exchanging words. Leliana stepped closer while Cassandra gestured towards the sword. Ena looked back out towards the crowd of people, where an excited murmur was beginning to spread. She met Aravae’s gaze and the golden eyed woman’s expression grew more determined. She looked back to Leliana and slowly picked up the sword, admiring the dragon wrapped around the crossguard and way the sword itself extended from its mouth. Aravae had no doubt that Harritt had made the beautiful blade. There was another pause as Ena spoke once more to the two women with her. Cassandra stepped closer to the edge, closer towards the crowd, looking rather pleased. “Have our people been told?” she shouted.

 

“They have,” Josephine replied, stepping forward. “And soon, the world.”

 

“Commander, will they follow?”

 

Cullen spun around to face the crowd and walked up and down the line, raising his arms to emphasize his words. “Inquisition, will you follow?” Agreeing cries sounded from the people. “Will you fight?!” A more determined roar followed, accompanied with hands and fists in the air. “Will we  _ triumph _ ?!” The cheers grew deafening. Once they died down for just a moment, Cullen faced Ena and the other women, drew his sword, and pointed at them. “Your leader! Your Herald! Your  _ Inquisitor! _ ”

 

Ena stepped forward and heaved the sword in the air, as high as she could. Aravae found herself cheering with the rest of them while at her side, Solas looked particularly intrigued.

 

Eventually, the crowd dispersed, heading off to either get dinner or lay down for the night. Ena was led inside the main hall by Cassandra and Leliana, Cullen and Josephine making their way up there, so Aravae assumed they had more to talk about. “The Inquisitor an elf, huh?” she mumbled aloud.

 

“Indeed,” was all Solas said. 

 

* * *

 

 

_ “So you finally told her today?” _

 

_ “Yes. I did not mention anything of you, nor will I unless you decide to. With that said, I’d still much prefer you tell her yourself.” _

 

_ Solas didn’t acknowledge her words as the two slowly strolled through the halls of Skyhold as they used to be. The halls were so brightly lit, even the stones seemed to gleam. Intricate tapestries hung from the walls, depicting stories of Fen’harel, though Solas hadn’t been the one to approve them. His followers hung them up regardless as they began to worship him. In the main hall, there were numerous dancing bodies, clapping and stomping along to the music the bards played from the loft above. Judging by the movements, whichever memory Solas was recalling was quite the party, not the usual delicate, flowing dances the elvhen usually partook in. _

 

_ “How did she react?” Solas finally asked. _

 

_ “Much better than I expected. It still shook her, to say the least, but…” Aravae trailed off, looking at the faces of those she used to know. “By the end, she was trying to smile at me again. She promised to not tell anyone.” _

 

_ He hummed in response. _

 

_ “I’m surprised that you finally came around to the idea of me telling her.” _

 

_ “She trusts you much more than I. Since you were so insistent, this way shall...ease her into the waters, so to say. What all do you plan to tell her of Elvhenan?” _

 

_ “Everything I can. Like I said, I won’t just tell her about you. But...perhaps I can speak of Fen’harel. I can tell her the truth about him. That he isn’t the grand betrayer and trickster that the Dalish believe he is.” _

 

_ He grunted. _

 

_ Aravae sighed, nearly growling. She stepped in front of Solas and stopped, crossing her arms. “What are you so preoccupied with?” _

 

_ She saw the quick flash in his eyes - the way a predator looks at its prey, but it was gone so quickly, she almost thought she didn’t see it at all. She began to frown when he said, “I worry. How long has it been since one of the people has been raised to such a high standard? If the target on her back wasn’t already large enough…” _

 

_ “That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it? We’ll protect her.” _

 

_ “We won’t be with her all the time,” he pointed out. “You said she’s departing for the Fallow Mire tomorrow morning, did you not?” _

 

_ “We’ll have to put our trust in the others. They aren’t going to let anything happen to her.” _

 

_ Solas’s brows furrowed. “How could so easily trust others to do a job you convinced only you yourself could do until recently?” _

 

_ Aravae took a step back as she clenched her hands into fists. “You think it was easy for me? It’s taken months, but I’ve watched how the others interact with her. I’ve seen how they reacted with her in times of crisis. How they’ve guarded her back in battle. How they mourned when they thought she was dead. How they worried when she was found gravely ill and wounded.” Her nostrils flared as she kept on going. “Cassandra’s hard on her to help build her up. Varric lifts her spirits. Dorian practically mothers her. Bull is always either in front of her or at her side in a fight. Blackwall is close by or watching her back. Vivienne makes sure to help keep up on her barrier above everyone else’s. Sera makes sure that she stays grounded and has fun from time to time. The spirit that looks like a boy - Cole - I have seen going around and helping everything with small things and when he does, Ena won’t get wrapped up in those, because she would make the tiniest thing her problem to fix.” She bobbed her head at him. “And you? You’ve imparted wisdom on her, teaching her things she never knew before, and opening her mind up to numerous, new possibilities. I’ve seen you come to respect her and care for her.” _

 

_ The air around her chilled and she wasn’t entirely sure what precisely she had said that had pulled forth his loss of control over his emotions. His jaw was clenched so tight, she almost felt that she could hear the grinding of his teeth. However, though she’d cracked his mask, it still wasn’t fully off. It was much easier for her to get through to him in the Fade.  _

 

_ “What is it that you’re so afraid of, Solas?” she demanded, her voice growing louder. _

 

_ He snapped. With a snarl, he reached out and grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed, slamming her back into the wall. She winced at the contact, but didn’t back down, though his raging blue eyes were beginning to intimidate her. Around them, the music died down and the dancing figures vanished like wisps of air. The hall grew dark as the torches extinguished. The only light left in the room was from the moon, pouring in through the window and gently illuminating their figures. Solas’s shoulders moved up and down with silent, deep breathing. He didn’t let go of Aravae’s shoulders as he continued hovering over her. _

 

_ “I am...conflicted, being in this place,” he muttered at last. “This is where I did it. While you were still out on the island, rallying the people to fight against the arrival of the first shemlens, I was here, alone, raising the Veil.” He sagged forward and bent down, pressing his forehead against hers. She didn’t shy away from the action, but she felt a jolt rush through her body. “I...feel like a true hypocrite for admitting this, but… I feel that I am slowly changing my mind. I still am entirely, solely to blame for the destruction of our people. I would give anything to change what I did, so...I felt that tearing the Veil back down could be the only way. If we could restore the conscious connection to the Fade, we could fix it...make things how they used to be.” _

 

_ “That is just you, feeling obligated and responsible. I have no right to say this, Solas, but you’re clinging to the past. Focus on the present. Here, now, what is in front of you. You could build a life in this world.” _

 

_ Solas leaned slightly back, his grip on her loosening, but not fully letting go. The storm in his eyes was now replaced with a nameless sorrow. “How do you do it?” _

 

_ “...Do what?” _

 

_ “You’ve lost perhaps more than any elvhen left. You’ve lost your husband, your daughter… You’ve briefly mentioned your brother.” His hands slipped off her shoulders and he took a step back, giving her room. _

 

_ She took a shuddering breath that racked her body. “...Yes. But bringing the Veil down won’t bring them back. Nothing will. I could study the time magic that Dorian spoke of, but even then, if I accomplished it and never returned here to the present...it would only make me sadder, I think. To me, they would be entirely different people. They wouldn’t truly be the ones I know.” _

 

_ “This may be presumptuous of me, Aravae, but… May I see what they looked like?” _

 

_ The question stunned Aravae. She’d told very few things about her family to Solas because for so many long years, the pain remained fresh. Truly, excluding uthenera, how long had it been since she’d last held them, seen their faces? It had to have been just under a century. Things blurred together when one didn’t have to worry about natural death. Time flowed endlessly, on and on, decades into decades. Still, she could remember their faces clear as day, as if she’d just seen them yesterday. She closed her eyes to focus, picturing them in her mind. _

 

_ “Now, now, da’assan, don’t be afraid. This is your uncle, Nuvian.” _

 

_ The familiar voice brought a nostalgic smile to Aravae’s lips as she opened her eyes. The scenery around them shifted to a grand forest with tall trees and moss underneath their feet. She remembered this day fondly, the day her entire family came together for the first time, just before Estelar turned four. _

 

_ Her little brother was knelt down, a large, excited grin on his handsome face. His features were as angular as Aravae’s and his long hair that was held back in five tight braids on his scalp was the same shade as hers. His eyes were a light brown, crinkled at the edges from how happy he was to be meeting his niece for the first time. Dancing across his face were dark green markings of Andruil. He was holding a small crown made of white and yellow flowers delicately in his hand. _

 

_ Across from him stood Rienmar. He was tall and surprisingly broad for an elvhen. His hair was black as could be, straight as an arrow, but light and feathery, reaching just past his shoulders. He had two small braids, one on each side of his head, but his bangs hung down in his face, nearly in his eyes. Aravae had no idea how he managed to hunt like that. His eyes were a deep, never ending blue. Matching the shade of his eyes was also Andruil’s vallaslin. He gazed down at their small daughter that was hiding behind his leg, peeking out shyly towards Nuvian. _

 

_ “But Papae…” _

 

_ “Come on, come here.” Rienmar bent down and settled on his knees, gently tugging Estelar out from behind him and brought her to his side. _

 

_ “It’s nice to meet you, Estelar. I brought you something,” Nuvian said gently, offering out the flower crown. _

 

_ Estelar’s eyes shined as she gazed at it, excitement nearly taking over. But then she remembered that Nuvian was a stranger and she shied back again a little. She tapped Rienmar’s leg and whispered loudly, as though Nuvian couldn’t hear her, “He looks a lot like Mamae.” _

 

_ Rienmar chuckled and flashed a smile. “That’s because he is your mamae’s brother.” _

 

_ “But then why does he have your markings, Papae?” _

 

_ “Because we serve Andruil together. Papae goes hunting with him sometimes.” _

 

_ Seeming reassured by this knowledge, Estelar took a few baby steps forward with her chin tucked, but eyes gazing up at Nuvian. When she decided she was close enough, she stopped. Nuvian held up the flower crown. “May I put this on you, Estelar?” _

 

_ She glanced back at Rienmar, who nodded in encouragement. Looking back to Nuvian, she bobbed her own head, her thick curls bouncing. Nuvian moved slowly, shifting forward just enough to reach up and rest the flowers on top of her hair. He leaned back said, “Well, aren’t you just a beautiful da’len?” _

 

_ Estelar giggled, swinging her arms back and forth. _

 

_ “May I give you a hug, da’len?” _

 

_ Estelar closed the gap between them and held out her small arms. Nuvian wrapped his own arms around her and squeezed her, lifting her off the ground and spinning in circles. Estelar laughed shrilly with joy. Rienmar stood up and looked to his side, where Aravae had been standing and his smile was incredibly gentle and warm. _

 

_ The laughter faded, as they did. The hall was silent once more, save for the audible breath that Aravae released. When she looked over to Solas, she was fairly certain he hadn’t moved at all the entire time. _

 

_ “They seemed to be lovely people,” he whispered, though it shattered the lingering quiet like a shout. _

 

_ “Yes… They were.” _

 

_ “Thank you for showing me, Aravae.” Unsure of what to say, she nodded as he shifted back around to look at her. “You must miss them.” _

 

_ “I do,” she admitted. “I probably always will, but… The pain is lessening, at least. I’ve grieved for a long, long time. I’ve known the entire time they wouldn’t want me to linger, but it isn’t exactly something you just get over.” _

 

_ “Indeed, it isn’t,” he agreed quietly. “Despite the fact you miss them and Elvhenan, you would still build a life in this new world?” _

 

_ “I have, in a manner of speaking. At least for now.” _

 

_ “Would you allow yourself to love again?” _

 

_ Suddenly, Aravae became increasingly aware of how close they were still standing to each other. She was thankful it was dark, because she was fairly certain her cheeks flushed for just a few seconds. “Why do you ask?” _

 

_ He replied after a moment, “Honest curiosity. Forgive me. It is nearing dawn, so we should rise to see the others off.” _

 

_ Without giving her an opportunity to say otherwise, Aravae felt herself slipping from the Fade. _

 

* * *

 

Rousing from her sleep sluggishly, Aravae groaned and brought her hands up to cover her face. ‘Conflicted’, Solas had said.  _ Well, now the feeling is mutual. Fenedhis. _

 

What was she supposed to do? She had felt confused about her feelings once already towards Solas, when they fought side by side back in Elvhenan. She refused then to allow herself to dare call it love since the loss of Rienmar was still so fresh. She told herself that she just had a great respect for him and the feeling of a personal debt that she needed to repay to him. To her, he was her own personal savior. He was there when she was rescued by his people. They looked out for her, nursed her back to health. He accepted her as one of them and when she was ready, he removed Falon’din’s vallaslin from her skin. He gave her purpose in life again. Without it, she perhaps might have fallen to her despair and found a way to rejoin her lost ones. As their time together continued, he saw the promise of the strength of her magic and began bringing her on nearly every mission. Then he began to ask for opinions from her. Before she knew it, they could even call themselves friends. He even protected her once and received the small scar on his brow for it. She was one of the very few who would ever stand up to him when they felt differently about something, but she was the  _ only  _ one who never backed down from him.

 

She dared not call it love.

 

_ “Would you allow yourself to love again?” _

 

Groaning again, she sat up in her bedroll and kicked the covers off, moving to get dressed. She left the tent, leaving her staff there, and made her way towards the stables.

 

Only some of the inner circle was there so far. The three that were going with Ena, Cassandra, Varric, and Cole was hovering near the horses, stroking one down its neck. Varric gave a slow clap upon Aravae’s arrival. “Well, I’ll be. Ivy’s up before the sun? Perish the thought. Maybe miracles  _ do _ happen.”

 

“Ar tu na’din, durgen’len.”

 

“Ah, but the spitefulness is there in full swing. We’ll call it a half miracle.”

 

“You two aren’t going to kill each other while we’re gone, right?” Bull asked with a broad grin.

 

“Ah, never! Ivy loves me too much.” Varric waved it off while Aravae just shook her head with a small smirk behind him.

 

The four continued getting ready, making sure they had everything, while the others slowly trickled towards the barn, including the war council. Solas kept his distance. Aravae noticed that Ena was quiet, not saying anything unless someone spoke to her first. Her smile didn’t quite meet her eyes. It didn’t look like she’d slept much. Aravae made her way over to Bull, who had moved just outside the barn with his larger horse. “Bull.”

 

The qunari man didn’t look away from his saddlebags. “Yeah?”

 

“Keep her safe,” Aravae said, not as a request, but as a demand, her gaze fierce.

 

Bull then stopped shifting things around and looked overtop his horse’s back to meet her eyes. “I will, saar.” He chuckled at Aravae’s puzzled expression. “It means ‘dangerous’ in qunlat. Don’t worry, I mean it as a compliment. You can be pretty fierce for such a breakable person.”

 

“Breakable?” she challenged, crossing her arms.

 

“Hey, look, everyone that isn’t a qunari looks particularly fragile to me, okay? Especially since you don’t lug around armor like Cullen or anything like that.”

 

She scoffed. “As you say. Well, either way, bring her back in one piece.”

 

“I will, don’t worry.”

 

Ena and the other two led their horses out of the stables. Aravae went over and gave Ena a quick hug, whispering, “Dareth shiral, lethallan. We can talk more when you return.”

 

“Ma serannas.” Ena released her and nodded with a quick smile before mounting her horse, the others following suit. After a few more exchanges, the gate lifted and the four raced off for the Fallow Mire. 

 

They stood there until they could no longer see them on the bridge before dispersing. Aravae looked to the eastern sky, where it was dancing in a mixture of colors with the arrival of the sun, mostly dominated by pink. For a moment, she thought about going back to her tent and possibly getting a little more sleep before the day truly began around Skyhold. She decided against it and follow a few of the others towards what would apparently soon be the tavern, but for the moment, it was where the cook was set up to pass out his food. Since she wasn’t too hungry, she only grabbed two warm bread rolls and made her way back outside so that she couldn’t be crammed in there when the rest of Skyhold followed the delectable scents.

 

She went down through the prison and along the small stone walkway until she was back at the spot she’d been at yesterday with Ena. She sat down, dangling her legs over the side. Nibbling on one of the rolls, she noted the dark clouds in the distance out towards the north. They’d likely get slammed with a storm before too long. 

 

She reached up with her free hand and grazed her forehead with the tips of her fingers. Sighing to herself, she murmured, “Fenedhis lasa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ar tu na'din, durgen'len - I will kill you, child of the stone
> 
> Hello, everyone! It's good to see the old faces and exciting to see all the new ones! Thank you all so much for your kudos and comments for this story. I love to hear from you guys: comments, requests, criticism, or if you just want to talk! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and even more with the next one! I can't wait to have it up for you guys next week! Just remember though, if you want a preview, swing by my Tumblr and you will have a sneak preview a couple of days before I post the chapter. :)
> 
> Keeping it short and sweet this time - I hope to see you all next week and look forward to talking with you! Take care. :)


	17. Chapter 17

Guys, important announcement!! I have new art to share with you guys! This is one of [Aravae](https://solverne.tumblr.com/image/162299964705) from Elvhenan times, drawn by the talented Kawereen on Tumblr! You can find her blog with her amazing artwork (she specializes in Cullen) [here](http://kawereen.tumblr.com/)!

 

* * *

 

 

Ena  _ hated _ the Fallow Mire with every fiber of her being. The journey to get there was hard enough with her still wrapping her mind around what Aravae had revealed to her. She was bugged by Vivienne, who was insisting on either having Ena tell her what was on her mind or forgetting about it and getting her mind straight. She was Inquisitor now, she needed to be an example for the people, she needed to do this and that and the other…

 

She thanked the Creators that Blackwall only asked her once. When she said she didn’t want to talk about it, he merely told her that he was there if she changed her mind and left it alone.

 

It was Bull she was slightly worried about. Though at times it felt like he could read someone’s mind with his Ben-Hassrath training, she knew that he wouldn’t be able to truly figure out what she was thinking without directly talking to her. Still, though all three of her companions knew that  _ something _ was on her mind, she felt like he would get the closest to figuring anything out.

 

Or perhaps he already knew? If anyone watched others incredibly closely, looking for the slightest details, it would be him. Ena always felt that something was a little off about Aravae, but never would have in her wildest dreams guessed that she was an elvhen. However, perhaps Bull could get a stronger reading, a better feel for what was going on.

 

She did her best to forget about it, but it was hard to not think on it while they were riding for several days. When they reached the bog, that was a whole other story.

 

It was almost constantly raining, but it was ten times worse than the Storm Coast. The bog had a wretched smell to it. Not just because of the dampness, but because of all the corpses. The undead unnerved her, but she could push through those. They’d discovered strange veilfire runes thanks to Vivienne and found that by lighting torches, they could lure the undead out of the water and get rid of a large number of them at once. There were even a few rifts for her to close along the way. They’d come across a strange Avvar by one of the rifts who told Ena that he knew of the situation and that last he knew, the Inquisition soldiers were alive. While he was affiliated with the Hand of Korth, he was not there to fight with the so-called Herald of Andraste. Though slightly confused, Ena thanked him and they pressed on. By time they ran through a huge group of the walking skeletons to reach the first part of the keep, Ena was thoroughly soaked head to toe and felt incredibly nasty, like three days’ worth of bathing wouldn’t get her cleaned. The others looked no better and clearly felt no better.

 

Ena knew they were getting close when they began to fight other Avvar, rather than more undead. To be honest, she appreciated the change in opponents. She felt like she needed truly live ones to be able to take her stresses out on. She lunged into battle with them, feeling the cool sensation of Vivienne’s barrier and hearing the two warrior men directly behind her. She had nothing to worry about with them around. She spun around, sliced, slipped out of the way, and stabbed them where she could, making sure to mind her footing in the mud.

 

Once they made it to the top of the stairs, her eyes widened a little. She didn’t think she’d be stunned by size after being around The Iron Bull so much, but this Hand of Korth man was...enormous compared to her. When he spotted them, he grabbed his giant battle axe and stood, giving off a great belly laugh. As he readied himself, two other men, archers at his side, prepared their bows. While Ena crouched, she called, “Avvar, listen! I am-”

 

“The Herald of Andraste!” the beast of a man bellowed, waving his axe above his head with both hands. “Face me! I am the Hand of Korth Himself!!”

 

“I don’t think there’s any talking to this guy, Boss,” Bull mumbled.

 

“You don’t say?” Blackwall drawled with sarcasm.

 

“Focus. Here they come,” Vivienne snapped, waving her hand to cast her barrier.

 

Ena made sure not to rush too far ahead of the others, but since the archers were closer, she made a move for the one on the right. He fired an arrow and she stepped quickly out of its path, though she felt the air whoosh on her cheek. He scrambled to draw another arrow from his quiver, moving backwards as he did so. Ena raised her new daggers she’d received from Harritt, ready to strike. She heard a warning shout come from Blackwall and she barely had just enough time to jump backwards, dodging an arrow fired by the other archer. She sent a glare in the man’s direction while Bull charged into him, knocking him backwards and off balance, giving Blackwall an opportunity to rush in and run his sword through him. 

 

Ena looked back towards her original target, seeing he’d already nocked another arrow and was getting ready to fire. She rolled out of the way and leapt back to her feet, but she promptly ducked as the Avvar got close enough to swung his axe at her. She teetered sideways, trying to move out of his reach, but kept an eye on the other archer. She saw Bull and Blackwall charging towards the Avvar from behind while Vivienne set glyphs around him, looking him no choice but to step on one. He looked down at them and roared, raising his axe and slamming it down on the stone. By triggering one of the glyphs willingly, they all set off in a massive explosion, sending dust and debris flying into the air. Ena quickly checked for the archer and saw that he was firing at Blackwall, but the Grey Warden was blocking them with his shield and was closing in. Bull was edging his way around the cloud of dust to try and get close to Ena.

 

A gravelly shout came from the dust and the air shifted as the Avvar charged forward. Ena bent her knees, ready to dive out of the way, but Bull promptly pummeled into the Avvar’s side, sending him stumbling, but not knocking him over. Vivienne threw fireballs at him, but they barely seemed to bother him. The man never broke his tunnel vision of Ena until Bull began to swing his own axe.

 

While the two large men were locked in battle, Ena heard the dying cry of the archer as Blackwall struck him. She tried to shift around to get at the Avvar’s backside, but the man saw the redhead trying to make a move and forced Bull to change direction. Though Bull was keeping him distracted, Ena was still in his area of vision at all times. Ena grit her teeth.  _ What is with this guy?! _

 

Thankfully, Blackwall did what she could not. He made his way around back and attempted to rush him. However, the Avvar managed to push Bull back long enough to give a mighty, full body circular swing of his axe. Bull was slammed with the handle and was thrown backwards into a pillar. Blackwall barely had time to raise his shield to block the blade, but he too was tossed like a child towards Vivienne.

 

Ena cried out in anger. Vivienne checked on Blackwall for a quick moment, the man groaning, but trying to pick himself up. Bull growled, peeling himself away from the pillar, moving slower than before. Seeing that he had weaker prey he could pick off, the Avvar grinned and ran at Bull. Ena darted at him as fast as her body would let her. She jumped and sunk a dagger into the back of his shoulder, using it as a hold for her to pull herself higher. She was in the midst of bringing her other dagger up to pierce his throat, but a large hand grabbed her by the hair and yanked her over his shoulder. She screamed as her scalp burned and dropped her remaining dagger, reaching up to try and pry the Avvar’s fingers off. She felt the heat of Vivienne’s fireballs slamming into the man’s back, but he barely winced. She could hear his laughter ringing in her ears. The pounding in her head was excruciating-

 

She slammed onto the ground. The laughter was replaced by angry, pained shouts. She rolled away from the sounds before she was able to gather her bearing and open her eyes. Bull’s axe was embedded deep in the Avvar’s side, blooding pouring from the wound. Bull’s eye was narrowed in a dangerous manner. “Not on my watch,” he snarled.

 

While the Avvar turned to strike with his axe, Blackwall came up behind him once more and forced his sword through the man’s chest, effectively stilling his movements and forcing him to drop his axe, but he only fell to his knees. Ena shoved herself to her feet and reclaimed her dagger. She took slow strides to close the distance between him, but she had no fear. His blood was pooling the floor, she could see his breaths slowing, and his eyes were growing foggy. His end was near. He couldn’t hurt her. When he saw her stop before him, he opened his mouth and tried to speak, but Ena didn’t give him a chance. She drove her dagger into his chest. She heard the rush of air leave his body. She pulled the dagger free and stepped aside quickly as his body crashed to the floor.

 

Both men sighed with relief and fell backwards onto their rears, dropping their weapons. Ena knelt by Bull while Vivienne hurried to Blackwall’s side, offering up a potion. “Bull, are you okay?”

 

He scoffed. “Just got the wind knocked out of me. I should be asking you, Boss. You alright?” His eye scanned over her quickly.

 

“Just a headache,” she assured him. “Blackwall? Are you okay?”

 

“Fine,” he grunted. “A little bit of bruising.”

 

“Probably more than that,” Vivienne said in a disapproving tone. “Your arm may be sprained after blocking that. Drink up.”

 

He complied and downed the contents of the glass vial. After taking a few more breaths, Bull stood upright. “Well, he should have a key to wherever he’s locked up the soldiers. Let’s get them out and get out of this place, yeah?”

 

Ena nodded in agreement and walked back to the Hand of Korth’s corpse and knelt, searching him as she stood in his blood.

 

* * *

 

 

Aravae slowly walked down the stairs from the rookery, having just read a report from Harding that the Herald and the others had successfully dealt with the Hand of Korth and rescued the Inquisition soldiers, all only having minor injuries. As a bonus, the Herald had managed to seal several Fade rifts. It was a big relief to Aravae, but she still knew that they needed to be cautious returning, too. Hopefully everything would go smooth and her friend would be safely back at Skyhold in a few days.

 

During the time she’d been gone, they made many great leaps with the repairs to the fortress. The battlements were finished, the bridge linking the rotunda and the central tower was complete, the tavern was up and running, the gardens were in much better shape than they had been before, and most of the council and inner circle that was present had selected areas to designate as their own. Aravae had a spot in mind for herself, but she needed to finish fixing it up before she could call it hers. The room that she had stayed in before, all those years ago, was one of the areas that would be worked on next. Josephine informed her during an overall update that those rooms would be used for visitors so that they could have somewhere nice to stay. Though Aravae’s heart sunk slightly, she didn’t show it. She could find somewhere else.

 

She had her eye set on the northwest tower. The inside of it had been fixed up a bit already with repairing the staircase and the levels of floors inside of it. The top floor leading to the roof was what she was after. She didn’t want to be enclosed inside a room without access to being under the sky. That was definitely her favorite part about living with Clan Lavellan. 

 

“Ah, Aravae. How are you on this…” Dorian paused and glanced out the window from his chair in one of the nooks of the library. The sky was a dark grey and heavy snow was falling. “Positively dreary day?”

 

“Fine, Dorian, thank you.” Aravae glanced at the book in his hands. “Good read?”

 

“Eh, it’ll pass the time. So far, it hasn’t told me anything about necromancy that I didn’t already know. Have you looked, I mean, really  _ looked _ , at this library? Oh, it’s selections are dreadful.” Dorian set the book in his lap, leaving it open to the page he was on, before waving a hand in the air.

 

“It’s only, what, barely over two weeks old?” Aravae looked around at some of the empty shelves. “Give it some time. Besides, didn’t I hear Josephine say that there would be a list for you to put requests on?”

 

“That there is. I wrote lovely recommendations of early Tevinter history since we are lacking in that area.”

 

“You’re  _ from _ Tevinter, aren’t you? What is there that you don’t know about Tevinter?”

 

Dorian touched a hand to his chest. “Your faith in me is well placed, my Lady, for I do know much about the Imperium. However,” he rested his hand back in his life, his expression growing more serious, “I wanted to see if I could help dig up any information on this Corypheus. Speaking of returning the Imperium to its former glory and all that, clearly he is from there. Perhaps even an old magister? There’s so many unanswered questions about him.”

 

“I see.” Aravae nodded. “That would be useful. But judging by the fact that you’re reading about necromancy, there isn’t anything here yet that was helpful?”

 

“Your observation is correct. I’ve put in my requests. Hopefully it won’t be drowned out by the obscene amount of books Solas has asked for.”

 

“He’s asked for some?”

 

“Some? Ha! If you would count three parchments full of titles, then yes.  _ Some _ .”

 

Aravae couldn’t say she was surprised. The library that Elvhenan used to have was beyond incredible and she’d only seen it once, when she was fetching a few books from there for Falon’din. Solas had his own personal collection, mostly kept in Skyhold. They hadn’t withstood the test of time. When they’d arrived, all the bookshelves were covered in piles of dust and crumbled bindings. The loss of knowledge hit both of them hard.

 

“Ah, but don’t let me keep you. Just thought I’d be polite and say hello.” Dorian grinned and raised the book back up. “I know it made you feel truly honored.”

 

“Indeed. I can die happy now,” Aravae mumbled as she began to walk away.

 

“Wait! Was that  _ sarcasm?! _ I am...so proud of you!”

 

When she glanced back at him over her shoulder, she saw that he’d leapt out of his to watch her departure and he was dabbing at the corners of his eyes as though he had tears. She rolled her eyes and said, “I’ve been capable of it long before you.”

 

“Don’t spout nonsense.”

 

“Go back to reading, Dorian.”

 

“As you wish!”

 

Aravae shook her head with a small smirk and finished making it down the stairs and into the rotunda, where Solas had a desk and even a sofa moved in. Currently, he was in the process of painting a fresco on the walls, as he had been for a couple of days now. Thankfully, it was occupying most of his time, so Aravae hadn’t spoken to him nearly at all since their conversation in the Fade. She still didn’t know what to say. Now she entirely questioned how she behaved around him and how he did in turn. She did not want to linger in the room for too long, lest he speak up, but with the way the atrium was built, they couldn’t have a sensitive conversation without not only Dorian and others in the library hearing, but the Nightingale, as well. Still, she peered up at the painting. 

 

It looked nearly finished. He had started from the top, as high as he could reach while standing on a small scaffold, and was now nearing the floor. He had removed his sweatshirt and his sleeveless undershirt as well, leaving him bare from the waist up. Even just looking at his lean, naked backside made Aravae’s face grow warm. He shifted then, turning around to see who was standing still in the room, and she could see all the smudges of paint on his hands, arms, and small spots on his chest and cheek. He flashed her a quick smile before turning back to his work.

 

Aravae rushed through the room to the far side, throwing open the door and nearly slamming it shut behind her. She leaned her back against it and took a deep fresh of the cold outdoor air. Running a hand down her face, she chastised herself.  _ Why are you acting like a da’len with her first crush? You’ve known Solas forever and you’ve finally truly begun to move on from- _

 

She stopped her racing thought and looked up at the dark sky. She was, wasn’t she? She had been slowly telling herself for many years that Rienmar wouldn’t want to her grieve forever over them. Only more recently had she begun to actually accept that. Now that she had, she felt...a little lost. There was confusion in her heart and she hated feeling unsure. At the same time, her feelings towards Solas...how had they grown into something more than friendship and respect? When had it happened?

 

_ “Would you allow yourself to love again?” _

 

His question. Why would he ask that? Her mind came up with countless possibilities, but the one she kept landing on was: Could he possibly feel the same?

 

“My Lady?” She snapped her head back down and saw Cullen approaching her, hands full of papers and a look of concern on his face. “Are you alright? Are you not cold?”

 

Aravae  _ was _ chilled since she was currently only in her more casual clothes and not her warm armor and cloak Harritt had made, but she wasn’t about to admit that. “I’m fine, Commander. Oh, I’m in your way.” She stepped out of the doorway. 

 

“No, you’re fine,” he assured her, stopping just before her. “You were making faces, as well. Are you feeling okay?”

 

“I promise I’m fine, Commander. There’s just a lot on my mind at the moment.” She paused and added, “Thank you for asking.”

 

He nodded and hesitantly went on his way, entering the rotunda. Aravae blew out a puff of air and started walking along the bridge, deciding on heading to the tavern. She knew that several others of the inner circle would be there tonight, namely Varric, and she needed to get her mind off of things.

 

Her hunch was right. Though there were many bodies, lots of chattering, and Maryden singing, she spotted Varric sitting at a table with some of the Chargers, laughing over an ale. She made her way towards them, but the dwarf spotted her coming and hollered, “Ivy! Come to join us?!”

 

Krem scooted his chair over while Stitches provided an empty one for her to sit in. Aravae sat down as Krem stood up, asking, “What do you want to drink?”

 

“Are there actually many options yet?”

 

The warrior shrugged. “There was apparently a wagon that had a few cases of West Hill Brandy earlier.”

 

“I...guess I’ll try that?”

 

Krem grinned with a thumbs-up and went off to the bar. He returned quickly enough with the mug and set it down before her. She took a sip and made an appreciative noise. “Much better than things you’ve had me try before.”

 

“Well, drink up! There’s plenty,” Varric said with a grin.

 

Aravae enjoyed the company of Varric and the Chargers. They were such a lively bunch with never a dull moment to speak of when they all got together, especially in a tavern. Varric naturally broke out a deck of cards and several rounds of Wicked Grace began. Several other patrons hovered around to watch, cheering for whomever they chose. For a brief second, Aravae had the thought that the Inquisition was more of a strange family than just an organization. But then someone shouted that they begin betting their clothes. A few sparks shot off from her body as she felt a flush spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. Skinner, thankfully, hopped up and demanded threateningly to know who said that. There was laughter and she grinned as she reclaimed her seat, shouting that she wasn’t drunk enough to play stupid like that.

 

Aravae could feel the effects of the drink starting to settle in. Smiling and laughing came much easier to her and she swayed around a bit in her chair, unlike her normal still posture. She was pleased that Varric hadn’t won every single round of the game. She managed to rein in a win for herself and a few other of the Chargers bested the cheating dwarf. As the evening wore on, the crowd thinned out and it grew quieter in the tavern. The game went on a little longer until Sera opened her door from upstairs and drunkenly slurred for them to keep it down. Deciding they should all probably retire for the night themselves, they wrapped it up. Krem, perhaps the most sober of the group, offered to walk Aravae back to her tent, but she politely declined, assuring him she could get back on her own. They walked out into the chilly air, thankful it had at least stopped snowing for the time being, and went off their own ways. 

 

Aravae took slow, decisive steps, making an attempt to keep her body moving in as straight a line as possible. When she glanced behind her, she saw that she wasn’t really accomplishing much. She huffed at herself. She moved carefully on the steps, hoping that she wouldn’t slip. She knew she couldn’t catch herself. When she opened the door and stepped inside, she sighed happily at the warmth.

 

Wait, warmth? Her tent wasn’t warm.

 

Oooh, she was inside the main hall. Why had she gone that way? Her eyes shifted lazily to the right, to the door that led to the rotunda.

 

Her feet began moving without her permission.

 

Swinging open the door, she stumbled lightly into the room. As she stepped inside further, she saw that the fresco was finished. She gazed at it for several long moments, then blinked heavily. What was she doing? She was beginning to turn and leave when she saw Solas, sprawled out on the couch, long arms draped across his stomach, breathing deeply.

 

Her feet began moving again.

 

She hovered over him for a moment, but looking down made her head spin. She clumsily sat down on the floor, legs tucked under her, and studied his sleeping face. Rarely had she ever seen him like that. His lips were parted ever so slightly, his chest made slow rises and falls, and his eyes moved behind the closed lids slowly. Aravae wondered where he was in the Fade tonight. Without thinking, she leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on his head, near his scar. He jolted awake, eyes snapping open first in alarm, but sliding into confusion. “Aravae?”

 

She moved her face away from his and down towards his chest, being careful of his wolf jaw, and set her head on it. His heartbeat was quick.  _ “You confuse me,”  _ she mumbled softly, a little angrily, in elvish.

 

The beat thrumming in Aravae’s ear hadn’t slowed down when the elvhen man shifted, gingerly setting his hands on her shoulder and pushing her back to an upright position. She looked up at his face that was swimming in emotions she currently couldn’t read, but a small smile came to his lips.  _ “You have been drinking,”  _ he stated knowingly, with some amusement.

 

_ “I don’t like being confused,”  _ she muttered irritably.  _ “I want you to be straightforward.” _

 

_ “Come on, Aravae. Let’s get you up,”  _ he said quickly. He rose from the couch and helped her up, sitting her down on it and then gently laying her down. While he lingered over her, she eyed the wolf jaw and reached up, snatching it, studying it intently. Solas looked a little stunned.

 

_ “I remember when you started wearing this. When Andruil killed all those wolves to send a message…”  _ Her eyes grew heavy as she looked back up at him. She gave a hard tug on the jaw, pulling him swiftly down towards her. He reached out with a hand, bracing himself on the couch.

 

_ “Aravae, please, you are not thinking straight.” _

 

She glared at him.  _ “Maybe I’m not. Maybe I am. Who are you to say?” _

 

_ “You need to sleep. We can talk in the morning, if you wish.” _

 

She broke away from his eyes and released the jaw, now directing her jaw at it instead.  _ “No, we won’t. You are a coward who shies away from talking about his feelings.” _

 

A hand reached down under her chin and tilted her head up just before Solas’s lips came crashing down on hers. Aravae squealed in surprise quietly, but it was swallowed up in his mouth. Breathing deeply through her nose to catch her breath without breaking the kiss, Aravae reached up, looping her arms around Solas’s neck and pulling him closer. She closed her eyes and let the burning pleasure rush throughout her body. Solas’s hand moved from her chin up to her hair with such a gentle, grazing touch that it sent shivers up her spine. He buried his fingers in her hair and held tight. A throaty moan escaped Aravae and Solas gladly returned with a growling one of his own. She could hear, feel his desires in it, making her stomach flip.

 

Solas then swiftly pulled away, breaking the kiss and releasing her hair. He stood up and took a step back, holding his hands out in front of him.  _ “I am sorry. I should not have done that.” _

 

As Aravae sat upright, she felt deeply sorrowful for some reason.  _ “Don’t apologize. Tel’abelas.” _

 

_ “I-” _ He broke himself off with a shake of his head.  _ “You are not thinking clearly. I should not have done that. You should sleep.” _

 

_ “Solas-” _

 

_ “No,”  _ he snapped firmly.  _ “You may sleep here tonight. Rest.”  _ He turned on heel and left the room swiftly, not giving Aravae time to say otherwise.

 

She sat there a little dazed, her cheeks still feeling flushed. She stared at the doorway where he’d left from blankly before slowly lowering herself back down. Reaching a hand up to her lips, she allowed her eyes to close. 

 

What had she done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hey, you guys got a little bit of everything: an early update, some new artwork, some action, and some fluff. I don't know about you guys, but I am excited!! The beginnings of the romance is finally here! Don't get toooo excited, there's still many hurtles for our elvhen darlings to overcome. ;)
> 
> Tel'abelas - I am not sorry
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoyed the chapter; I had a blast writing it. Also: we've hit over 50 kudos! Thank you so much! :'> I would like to do something special for you guys as thanks since we've hit that milestone and probably also once we hit 1000 hits (which should hopefully be in the next two chapters), but I have no idea what to do. Do you guys have any ideas/requests? Hit me up and let me know, either here or on my own Tumblr! I look forward to hearing what you guys have to say!
> 
> Again, thank you all so much. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to you all for reading this. I hope to live up to this promise: it's only gonna get better from here! See you all next week!


	18. Chapter 18

Thankfully, the pain in Aravae’s head was only a small throb, rather than skull-piercing. She groaned lightly and put a hand to her head before squinting as an attempt to open her eyes. Judging by the very faint light coming through the rookery opening at the top of the tower, it was extremely early in the morning. Her eyes widened.

 

The rookery.

 

She was in the rotunda.

 

_ Last night actually happened, _ she murmured internally.  _ Oh, fenedhis lasa. What am I going to do? _

 

Well, she couldn’t back out of anything. Not after her drunken self had called Solas a coward -  _ she called him a coward  _ \- and he promised to speak in the morning. Now her head hurt for more than one reason. What was she supposed to do? Where would she find him? Where had he slept, since she had taken his spot? She sat upright quickly. Had anyone seen her?

 

“Terrified, trembling, so many uncertain feelings, so many unanswered questions,” a soft voice whispered, making the hairs on Aravae’s arms rise. Her eyes darted to the desk in the center of the rotunda and there sat Cole, legs dangling nonchalantly off the side. “Does anyone know? Has anyone seen? What will he say? What will  _ I  _ say?”

 

“That’s enough, Compa- Cole,” Aravae corrected herself. She swung her legs off the couch and touched her feet down on the floor, standing slowly to test her weight. “Please don’t speak about my problems aloud.”

 

“But you are hurting. I can help.” The boy’s blue eyes looked towards her, his pale face full of honesty. 

 

“I hurt often, but I can deal with it myself.” Aravae walked closer to him. “Honestly, I am surprised you haven’t appeared before me sooner like that.”

 

“You keep your hurts tucked deep down, deep inside, far away, so that no one else can see it. They weren’t surfaced enough for me to sense them above others’ pain.” Cole offered out a hand to her. “Are you certain? I can make you forget what happened. I can make you forget the kiss.”

 

Aravae’s ears burned. “Th-that’s okay, Cole. You don’t need to say that aloud. Besides, even if you made me forget, Solas will not.”

 

The spirit’s face fell, as did his hand, back down into his lap. “Solas won’t let me help, either.”

 

“We know you want to do what you think is best, but we can handle it ourselves, Cole.” She smiled and touched his shoulder. He glanced up at her, his gaze calculating. His mouth twisted a little, clearly unhappy at being refused. “I know it sounds silly, but if you were to try and help, it may only make the hurt bigger,” she added.

 

He took this into consideration before nodding. “I think I understand. But please remember I am here if you need help.”

 

“I will.”

 

“...Yes, you will.” The corners of his lips quirked up in such a small way. “I know you will not forget me. Solas is coming to meet you, to wake you. He believes you sleep still. His precious vhenan, so at peace when she sleeps. She deserves more peace. But not truly  _ his  _ vhenan, not yet, hasn’t had an opportunity to try for so many long years.”

 

Before Aravae could fully comprehend what Cole had said, the spirit had vanished from sight. Her heart skipped several beats and her breath caught in her throat.  _ No, Compassion, I don’t think you fully understood what I said. _

 

True to Cole’s words, the door leading to the main hall quietly opened. Solas’s head peeked through, eyes searching. Aravae did not miss how they went from the sofa first to where she was standing at his desk, but his expression betrayed nothing. He silently gestured for her to follow after him and he was gone from the doorway. It took her a moment to convince her feet to carry her forward.

 

They left the atrium and headed outside, neither saying a word. Aravae was still having trouble breathing and forgetting what Cole had said. Solas veered, taking them near the stables, which had also grown in the last week or so. Apparently there was a special breeder that Ena had found that raises harts, so she had asked if anyone else would ride one. Aravae and Solas both agreed that they would prefer one over a horse. Everyone else politely declined, save Sera, who blew raspberries and muttered something about ‘high and mighty elfy elves with their elfy elf mounts.’ At least they’d tried.

 

The three new harts were on the far left side of the barn, heads still hanging as they slept, each being of slightly different breeds. Aravae only knew the names, but wasn’t entirely sure which was which. She could guess, though. She could assume which one was the red hart. There was one with a thicker white coat with dark brown markings that she guessed was the greater Frostback elk, which left the dark brown one being the pride of Arlathan. Which she found ironic.

 

Solas walked to the furthest left stall, with the greater Frostback elk, and stopped. He glanced around, making sure no one was around, and waved his hand. Aravae looked at the barrier surrounding them and knew it was for canceling out sound, so that no one could eavesdrop on them. He had his back facing her. It seemed like he was staring at the sleeping hart. When she reached out to touch his aura, she found it was wrapped up tightly around him.

 

“Solas,” she whispered, barely making any sound. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have done that last night. Please forget about it.”

 

He turned to face her, his face contorted with anguish. “Forget about it? How could I?”

 

She was taken aback by his expression that it took her a moment to find her voice. “I just-”

 

“Aravae,” he said, cutting her off, “if I may speak my mind before I lose my conviction?” She looked confused, guilty, but closed her mouth and nodded. His eyes were a deep sea, full of emotions. She didn’t think she’d ever truly seen him like this before. He took a deep breath and averted his gaze, turning back to face the hart. “There is no simple way for me to say this. I have harbored feelings for you for...quite some time. I could not tell you specifically when I began to feel this way, but I knew when it was solidified in my heart.” He brought a hand up to his brow.

 

In the seconds that he fell silent, she inquired, “When you protected me from June’s blow?”

 

He tensed up when she spoke, but his shoulders relaxed when he took a few breaths. “...Yes. In that split second, when I saw him aiming towards your back, I just...couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.” He braced his hands on the top of the hart’s stall door and leaned forward on them. “But I forced my feelings down, as far as I could put them. We were at war, either one of us could have been killed at any given time, and you were still grieving over Rienmar and Estelar. It would have not been fair to either of us.”

 

Aravae’s stomach flipped several times. It had been that long for him? She had no idea. He wore a mask so well and even though she’d been able to crack it and see through it from time to time, she’d never had any indication or reasoning to think that way…

 

“Not to mention, I am still Fen’harel. Though you say you don’t want me to try and bring Elvhenan back, I couldn’t help but feel that there  _ must _ be some part of you that is angry with me for bringing it all to an end.”

 

She didn’t hesitate when she said, “I am  _ not _ . The elvhen were all at war with each other anyways. We were killing ourselves long before the shemlens arrived. It was only a matter of time before our time passed or before the Evanuris attempted to kill all of them, too.”

 

He hung his head slightly. “It makes me happy to hear you say that you aren’t angry. Still...I didn’t think it was possible. I never could have imagine if you had ever seen me as anything more. Then, last night, I felt like it was a horrible trick, that I was dreaming in the Fade. To have what I’ve desired for so long to only have it torn away from me…” Aravae could feel the flush spreading from her cheeks down to her chest and up to her ears. However, when he shifted once more to look at her, his solemn look sobered her quickly. “That does remind me… Do you know what all happened in the future at Redcliffe that Ena saw?”

 

She frowned. “I would say since you’re asking me that I don’t.”

 

“For some time afterwards, Ena suffered from vivid nightmares. I began to intrude on them to help her rest better. One of the ones I saw, I...couldn’t entirely grasp, but once Ena became aware of my presence, she explained it to me.” He clenched his jaw. “Apparently our future selves obviously remained with the Inquisition, after what we thought was Ena’s death. But we then grew closer. When she found our future selves in the dungeons, we were…”

 

“In love?” she guessed.

 

“Yes,” he replied softly, his brows furrowed. “You were nearly encased by red lyrium and you...kissed me. When you kissed me last night, it...reminded me of that. I acted impulsively.”

 

“I’m glad you did,” she admitted shyly, not meeting his eyes. Her hands were resting behind her back. 

 

“I still did not feel right. I felt that I was taking advantage of you, given your...state.”

 

She laughed lightly. “I could understand that, I suppose. However, I can tell you now, while I am sober and nursing a small headache, that though I was also impulsive, the feelings behind it were true.” Her cheeks grew warm once more and she inhaled deeply, shifting her head away from him. Saying it aloud slightly embarassed her.

 

A throaty chuckle came from Solas as he smiled tenderly. “You’re quite cute when you’re shy. It’s not like you at all.”

 

Hearing that only made her feel partly mortified. The other part of her wished that he would come closer and wrap his arms around her and kiss her as passionately as he had the previous night. But she knew he wouldn’t. The sun was beginning to rise and Skyhold would soon be full of activity. She instead collected herself and inquired, “But...what do we do now?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Ena knows who I am now. She has suspicions about you. If we were to...become involved, she would likely piece it together herself.”

 

He gestured with his head for her to come closer. She did so hesitantly as he faced the hart again, the creature opening its eyes and giving off a great yawn. It blinked with confusion at them with its deep brown eyes. Solas dared to lean closer to Aravae and mumbled huskily, “Then for now, we’ll have to be sneaky. Can you do that, ma vhenan?”

 

Her heart skipped a beat. Ignoring her state of self consciousness, she looked at him with her own sly, teasing grin. “I spent a long time by The Great Trickster’s side. I think I may have learned a few things.”

 

She was a little proud of herself when she saw the slightest bit of coloring on Solas’s ears as he leaned away, dropping the barrier. She composed herself and listened for a moment to hart’s deep breathing, admiring its antlers and its coat. Reaching a hand out slowly to it, it sniffed her hand and bumped its nose into it. She smiled and rubbed it, reaching up to scratch at its forehead, the hart making low rumbles of approval. 

 

“I think she likes you,” Solas said, his voice now its normal, controlled tone.

 

“Yes, I think she does,” she agreed happily. Her heart swelled and for the first time in a very long time, Aravae felt slightly more whole.

  

* * *

 

 

In the few days that it took for Ena and her company to arrive safely, Aravae and Solas remained quiet about one another. They dared not show any open affection, settling for extended gazes and meeting in the Fade at night. While Aravae was sure of her feelings now towards the man who had once been revered as a god, she didn’t want to have things move too fast. She was used to the shemlen world, where it seemed that everyone was in a constant rush, compared to Elvhenan, where courting could last decades. Solas complied, assuring her that they could move however fast or slow she wanted. For now, she was more than content with small, affectionate gestures. She enjoyed slipping her fingers around his and sitting together and resting her head on his chest or shoulders. When he wrapped an arm around her shoulders or rubbed her back, she felt entirely protected from anything the world could throw at her. She didn’t realize how starved for even basic touch she was and when she thought that, she was reminded of Rienmar. When she occasionally shied away from Solas’s touch when her mind was conflicted, he didn’t question her or push her. He waited still and patiently for her to come to terms with herself. All he would do is say confidently, “It’s okay.”

 

When the bells rang within Skyhold, Aravae looked at Dorian and Cassandra with a smile, knowing what they meant. The three stopped their work on the northwestern tower and hurried along the battlements and down the stairs to the courtyard. Ena, Iron Bull, Blackwall, and Vivienne rode in on their horses as many people cheered and clapped. Ena gave them a wave before dismounting and handing the reins to the stable hands. Spotting them coming, several people blocking the way to Ena moved aside for the inner circle. When Ena looked at Aravae, her expression didn’t falter. That gave her some reassurance. As the two friends embraced, Aravae scrunched her nose up and with a smirk, commented, “You all  _ smell _ .”

 

“Well, it’s a fucking  _ bog _ ,” Bull grumbled. “Now, out of the way, or else I’ll hug you too...and not let go.”

 

“Bull, do step aside,” Vivienne said quickly.

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Bull shifted and Vivienne all but stormed past, apparently determined to get cleaned up as fast as she could. Still, Aravae gave Bull and questioning but surprised look. The qunari glared at her with his eye. “What?”

 

“Oh, nothing. I’m not holding you back from the baths. Go ahead.” Aravae gestured with her hand while the rest of the inner circle and council welcomed Ena and Blackwall back, since they weren’t immediately making a break for it. 

 

“No issues along the way back?” Cullen inquired.

 

“None. It was strangely quiet,” Blackwall admitted as he scratched his beard.

 

Cullen and Leliana exchanged concerned looks while Josephine stepped forward with a kind smile. “I’m glad to see you are well, Inquisitor. Whenever you would like, though I recommend soon, I have several things I must pass along to you.”

 

“Later, Josie.” Ena rubbed her neck and arms. “Bath first. Preferably several. Then I’ll meet with you before the day is out.”

 

“Of course. I’ll have someone draw a bath for you in your room, if you would like?”

 

“That would be great. Thank you.”

 

“Until later then, Inquisitor.”

 

As the others began to excuse themselves after seeing their friends, Ena looked to Aravae. “I have so much I would like to tell you. Would you like to come along with me so we can talk, since I’ll likely be occupied for the rest of the day?”

 

Aravae understood. She nodded and followed after her. They went through the main hall and up the flights of stairs to get to Ena’s spacious room, which had once been Solas’s a long time ago. Inside, a fire was already ablaze, warming the area. The two sat silently on the couch while a few people brought a tub in the room, setting it up on the stone and away from any rugs or furs. Once the water and oils were brought in, Ena thanked them and requested privacy. They waited for a minute to ensure that no one was hovering around before Ena began undressing, tossing her smelly clothes as far away as she could. She sunk into the hot water with a dreamy sigh and turned her head to look at Aravae just as the woman waved a hand in the air. “What was that?” Ena asked with a small frown.

 

“Just a barrier. It’ll make sure no one hears us.”

 

“Oh, good idea.” Aravae waited patiently for Ena to begin asking her questions, but the redhead just sat in the water, slowly rubbing grime from her arms. “You would think I would know where to start,” she mumbled with a small hint of a laugh.

 

“Perhaps...if you give me a starting point, I can just start talking and then you can think of questions as I go?” Aravae offered.

 

“Yes… Maybe that would be best. Umm…” Ena shrugged with a worried expression. “Is it true that the People used to live forever?”

 

“Yes, it is. The reason why they don’t anymore is probably best explained at the end. I suppose, chronologically, I could just begin by telling you of the Evanuris and myself. Or, rather, the people who you call the Creators.” Aravae winced a little. “I’m sorry. I know it isn’t the best place to start, but it is perhaps the easiest.

 

“They are not gods and never were. They were perhaps the most strongest mages to ever live. Their strength was so far above anyone else’s that in time, they became to be revered as gods. The People forgot that they were elvhen, just like the rest of us. Most of your basic information about them  _ is _ true. Elgar’nan, the All-Father, the god of vengeance. Mythal, the All-Mother, the Great Protector, the goddess of love. Falon’din, the Friend of the Dead, god of death and fortune. His twin, Dirthamen, Keeper of Secrets, god of secrets and knowledge, and master of the ravens Fear and Deceit. Andruil, goddess of the hunt. Her sister, Sylaise, the Hearthkeeper, goddess of domestic arts. Their brother, June, god of the craft. Ghilan’nain, Mother of the Halla, goddess of navigation. They gained their titles simply because it was what they were best at and what they were known for.

 

“As for myself, I remember a time when I was very young. I don’t remember my parents, only that I had my little brother that I mentioned to you before, Nuvian. For as long as I can recall, he and I were in Falon’din’s care. He took us in under his wing of the pantheon and his people helped raised us. I assume it was because he looked after all those who were young that had no parents, since he was a friend to the dead, after all. When we grew older, I manifested stronger magic and Nuvian had barely any trace of it. Back then, even when some of the People could not necessarily cast spells, everyone still had magic flowing in their veins. Anyway, for some reason, to this day that I do not understand, Falon’din took interest in me and kept me. Nuvian was given to Andruil. We were then both marked with the appropriate vallaslin.” 

 

Ena looked more confused than ever, staring at the fair, bare skin of Aravae’s face.

 

“That...brings me to my next point. The vallaslin has never truly been a sign of worship and honor towards one of the Evanuris. The vallaslin…” Aravae hesitated, knowing how much pride the Dalish took in their markings. Even now, Ena appeared terrified to learn the truth. “They’re markings of slavery. Each ‘god’ had an incredible amount of servants. There was not an elvhen, save the Evanuris, that was bare faced when they came of age and were claimed.” Not wanting to linger on the topic, she pushed on. “Even back then, times were still peaceful. There were harems that the Evanuris kept for amusement purposes, but thankfully, Falon’din did not do that to me, nor did Andruil do to Nuvian. As for me, I was a higher slave, someone who eventually rose high enough to report to Falon’din himself. Nuvian became an accomplished hunter. Though we were slaves of different Evanuris, we still had time to go and visit with each other. That was in the days when the pantheon was still on good terms with one another.”

 

Ena had slowly been rubbing oils into her hair, listening with the utmost intent, when she stopped and parted her lips. Aravae paused, giving her time to collect her thoughts. “You...didn’t get in trouble, leaving to go see him?”

 

“No. I always did inform Falon’din when I was going to depart, but you have to understand, time flowed in a much different sense back then. There would sometimes be weeks before I was summoned for something. Debates to make decisions could last years. It was an entirely different, much slower world than it is today.” She waited again, but Ena fell back into silence, so she continued. “Like I said, my brother was quite a hunter. Though sometimes I would have opportunity to go see him, he did not necessarily have as many as me. Eventually, he began to talk of a man that he hunted with often, a man that he aspired to be as good as.”

 

Aravae wore a gentle smile of remembrance. “I met Rienmar by chance. Every few decades, the Evanuris would throw a massive festival and everyone would come together. It would last for so long. There was so much food, drink, music, lights… Arlathan always had a mystical, otherworldly glow about it.”

 

“Arlathan was the capital city, wasn’t it?”

 

“It was. Imagine...rather than buildings, crystalline, white spires and fortresses that were woven among the trees. There were grand galleries, amphitheaters, libraries...even palaces floating in the sky. It was all possible because magic was in harmonious existence with every aspect of our lives back then. We did not have roads, we had these...eluvians, they were sort of magical mirrors. You had to know the passcode to activate it, but then you could walk through it and it would instantly take you to another location of a different eluvian. You could walk from the Kocari Wilds to Antiva with a single step. I can come back to Arlathan. I could go on about it for days.” She laughed humorlessly. “But… Where was I?”

 

“Umm… Sorry, where you met Rienmar?”

 

“Oh, yes. Nuvian found me at the festival and Rienmar was with him. He introduced us, the two shared a few hunting stories with me, but Nuvian managed to slip away, leaving us together. We spent most of that festival at each other’s side. We eventually asked for Falon’din’s and Andruil’s blessing for us to be together. While relationships between servants were clearly not unusual, ours was, since we served different Evanuris. Still, they agreed and we were allowed to meet often. We were even honored and celebrated when I conceived Estelar, since children did not come around too often back then. She was born and we were granted a small, modest cabin up in the trees that was in land between Falon’din and Andruil. We still had to leave each other from time to time, but it was still the best years of my life.

 

“However, this is when things began to turn ugly. The Evanuris became bloodthirsty and power hungry. They began mistreating their slaves, beating us, cutting back on our food rations so that they could have more for themselves and their nobles, who were essentially their own personal favorites, some of which belonging to their respective harems.” Aravae began slowly braiding and unbraiding her hair, something to keep her hands busy with a mindless task. “They even began sending us out to fight when they had a dispute with another Evanuris. I did as Falon’din commanded. I killed many of the People for him. In return, we were to take their bodies to burial chambers, provide them with a nice bed, wash their bodies, and then burn away their inner tissues to preserve them. All in all, myself and my fellow slaves were the busiest during this time. There were so many bodies piling up that we couldn’t keep up with the demand. It only angered Falon’din. I began to question why I was following him.

 

“The rest happened incredibly quickly. I was hesitantly fighting some of Andruil’s forces. In the midst of the battlefield, I found Nuvian. Our eyes locked, we froze, and then he was...struck down and killed. I never got to say anything to him. By time I ran over to him, it was too late. I was stuck in my grief, but then Rienmar found me and carried me from the battlefield. He managed to snap me out of it and we ran back to Falon’din’s main home to collect Estelar. We ran, abandoning our duties and our ‘gods’. However, we were discovered by a stray faction of Elgar’nan’s. They pursued us for some time and eventually ran us down. We fought as best we could, but we focused on protecting Estelar.” Aravae took a shuddering breath. “There was a moment… I was running low on magic. I turned and saw Rienmar attempt to shield Estelar from an arrow with his body, but he was stabbed by an arcane warrior and...the arrow hit Estelar. They both fell dead at my feet. I...exploded, for lack of a better word. It was like I sucked in all the magic I could in the surrounding area, and I...blew the rest of them away. It sapped me of all my strength, but just before I lost consciousness, I was saved by...Fen’harel.”

 

Although Ena’s eyes swam with tears, she gasped softly. “Fen’harel?”

 

“He, too, was one of the Evanuris. However, he had very few servants. When the fighting began, he and all of his servants vanished. He is not the villain that your people make him out to be. He, too, was a god of great power, the Dread Wolf, the god of rebellion. He had seen the error of the Evanuris’s ways and freed his own slaves. During the fighting, he was going around to free other slaves and offer them sanctuary from their raging masters. Most that he freed joined his side to help others...including myself. He freed us by performing a spell that removed our vallaslin.”

 

“You fought with The Great Trickster?”

 

“He was cunning, that much is certain. He took as few risks as possible, calculating the outcomes of every move he made. However, in many other’s eyes, he was still a god. He disliked being called that, but he never disputed it. I eventually came to see him and the others of the pantheon as just men and women, albeit powerful.”

 

Ena seemed to be at a loss for words. “But he…”

 

“Fen’harel is perhaps what your people have most wrong. There are a few true parts to his story, but allow me to get to them. In all of the warring, perhaps the only one that activity spoke out against everything was Mythal. She was, in Fen’harel’s eyes, the voice of reason in a world gone mad. She occasionally tried to help him and vice versa. Eventually, the others found out and they killed her.”

 

“You can...kill a goddess?”

 

“In a sense. It’s...difficult to explain. She had lost her life and her body could no longer move, but her soul remained. Either way, she was rendered useless and may as well have been dead. It pushed Fen’harel to the brink. He trapped the Evanuris in a single location and then he created the Veil to keep them banished, ending the war  _ and _ the elvhen’s longevity.”

 

Ena’s eyes bulged. “He  _ created _ the Veil? You mean it wasn’t always there?”

 

“No. Demons were very few and rare to encounter. The world flowed with magic and spirits and wisps.”

 

“So the… The arrival of shemlens wasn’t what brought mortality to elves?”

 

“No, it wasn’t. There is a little more that I would like to tell you to sit on. There were another set of ‘gods’. They were known for a long time as the Forgotten Ones, and they were the enemies of the pantheon. So, for a long time, when we fought before the Evanuris turned on one another, we fought the Forgotten Ones’ forces. One reason Fen’harel was called The Great Trickster is because he was the only ‘god’ who could walk between both groups. Each one believed he was loyal to them. The Forgotten Ones did not have slavery, but just people under their protection that wanted to fight for them and help free slaves from the pantheon. The Evanuris fed us lies, telling us about how they were just savages that wanted to destroy Arlathan and Elvhenan. Naively, that was all it took for us to believe them. 

 

“If I can remember right…” She frowned in thought. “There’s a reason they were called the Forgotten Ones… There was… Geldauran, Daern’thal, Anaris, Xebenkeck, Imshael, Gaxkang, and one that was only ever called The Formless One. In a final battle against them, the Evanuris banded together and exiled the Forgotten Ones from the lands of the People. Apparently, once, they had been on the side of the pantheon, but abandoned them and turned against them. That, I’m not entirely sure about. Either way, once they were exiled, they cast aside their physical forms and fled far from the Elvhenan lands, turning into demons. I have never seen one of them to this day, but I have a feeling that they were not bound by the Veil like the Evanuris were.”

 

Ena sat motionless in the tub, blankly staring at the dirty water, absorbing what she’d been told. Aravae slowly stood up and walked over to the tub, drew a fire glyph on the bottom, and warmed the bath water back up for her. She gently pushed on Ena’s back, the redhead leaning forward. Aravae grabbed a sponge and began slowly scrubbing her back, waiting patiently.

 

“So why...me?”

 

“What about you?”

 

Ena’s head dipped down. “Why are you helping me? Why did you become friends with me?”

 

“Most Dalish are entirely too close minded. You are inquisitive, you want to learn more, and even if you learn something that didn’t necessarily agree with your own beliefs, you didn’t shun it. You still listened and accepted it. You intrigued me at first. The more I learned about you, the more I felt like I could feel an old remnant of the People in you.”

 

Aravae heard her sniff, but didn’t push her. “Then...did you spend all this time...alone? What happened to Fen’harel?”

 

“Well, no, remember how I told you I fell into the sleep?”

 

Ena nodded.

 

“So just after the Veil was created is when I fell asleep. Fighting with Fen’harel gave me purpose to keep me going after the loss of Rienmar and Estelar, but when he vanished after he raised the Veil, I lost all hope all over again. Perhaps he, too, fell into uthenera and is still sleeping somewhere, I’m not entirely sure.”

 

The Dalish woman rubbed at her eyes. “So you’re saying that maybe Fen’harel and the Forgotten Ones are still out there somewhere?”

 

“It is possible.”

 

“Corypheus isn’t really Fen’harel, is he?” Ena shook her head at herself. “No, he isn’t an elf and he went on about Tevinter. An Elvhenan god wouldn’t talk about Tevinter.” She slowly shifted around in the tub and Aravae could clearly see her flushed cheeks and reddening eyes from her crying. “Would you want to find Fen’harel?”

 

The question was the first that stunned Aravae. She’d been handling tiptoeing around Fen’harel and saying too much about him. She took a moment to gather her words. “I’m...not sure, to be honest. I guess...I’ve thought about it, but I’m a bit preoccupied, either way…”

 

“So all those tales about him being evil is just...fabrication?”

 

Aravae nodded silently. Ena’s gaze averted, staring off towards the fire in its hearth. 

 

“Well, this is...certainly a lot...to take in.” Ena cleared her throat and wiped at her eyes one more time. “I’m sorry. This is...umm...hard, to say the least.”

 

“Don’t apologize. I still feel like you’re taking it all rather well.” Aravae smiled sympathetically. “Would you like me to leave you be for now?”

 

“Yes, please.” Aravae set the sponge down and stood, walking towards the stairs when Ena called, “Wait. One more thing.”

 

Aravae stopped on the top steps and looked back at her quizzically.

 

“If the vallaslin are slave markings… I… I thought the People were better than that. That they wouldn’t have submitted to slavery back then… If they really represent that, then… Do you know the spell to remove them?”

 

The sudden decision again surprised Aravae. However, she honestly replied, “No, I’m sorry. I don’t.”

 

Ena nodded again and fell silent. Aravae took it as her sign to depart. Once she climbed down the stairs and closed the door behind her, she leaned against it with a heavy sigh, dispelling her barrier around the room. She’d surely given Ena much to think about. She needed time to digest it and collect herself before she went into her meeting with Josephine later tonight. Aravae ran a hand down her face. She felt exhausted. Perhaps she would go and take a nap and slip away into the Fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tadaaa! We now have Solavellan stuff to look forward to and the original discussion of Elvhenan is out of the way. I had way too much fun diving into research about Arlathan and their society and then when I found out about the Forgotten Ones... Ah! I've got a whole new set of ideas. Be prepared for them.
> 
> Thank you all so, so much for all the kudos, hello to the new bookmarkers, and I giggled at your comments you left! Don't worry, there will be some real fluff from time to time. :3
> 
> In the meantime, I hope to see you all next week! As always, feel free to chat with me either here or on my Tumblr!


	19. Chapter 19

Ena set a ladder against the wall on one of her balconies and she quickly scaled it, making her way up to the roof above her room. The wind blew constantly, chilling her, but at the moment, she didn’t care. Too many things were on her mind. She reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a few pieces of paper she’d gotten from her long meeting with Josephine. The ambassador ran over several things with her. 

 

Empress Celene’s ball was three months away and they had officially received an invitation from some duke. Josephine spoke about him, but honestly, Ena didn’t catch much. Either way, they had their way in and needed to find out more about all parties that were included in the event and try to hunt down the Empress’s would-be assassin. Even before then, they had a lot to take care of.

 

Josephine had passed a brief message along to her from Varric, saying that his friend that may have information on Corypheus was within Skyhold, but was remaining out of sight. Ena needed to speak with this person sooner rather than later.

 

Things were escalating in Thedas. Crestwood was being assaulted by undead and according to scouts, also an enormous rift in the middle of a lake. The Exalted Plains was also being attacked by undead, but also by another group that Harding was gathering information on. There was an unconfirmed rumor of a leader of another group, or possibly the same one as in the plains, that wanted to meet with the Herald of Andraste in the Emerald Graves. The Emprise du Lion had spotted red templars in abundance and the river to the small settlement there had frozen over, leaving them unable to get supplies. On all of this, Ena promised to mull over and meet with the council first thing in the morning to make some decisions. Only one decision was on her mind at the moment.

 

Her clan.

 

She’d recently been in contact with the Keeper and found out that bandits had been attacking her people near Wycome. She’d had Leliana send her people in to help and they’d successfully helped Clan Lavellan get to safety, but they’d uncovered even more. The bandits weren’t just bandits, they were mercenaries, paid for by a duke in Wycome. Ena’s blood boiled. Deshanna had always made sure that their interactions with shemlens had been peaceful. They had no desire to fight against anyone. Here they were, most likely being targeted just because of the shape of their ears and their way of life. Though she had no true love for individuals in her clan, they were still her family, her people, and her grandmother was still among them. She wasn’t just going to abandon them and leave them to fend for themselves.

 

She read the paper in her hands for what must have been the fifth time. It was from one of Leliana’s scouts, informing them of Duke Antoine’s motives for going after the clan. He only wanted to use them for a scapegoat to cover up a disease that was only affecting humans, but he was blaming the elves for it. Ena’s next move couldn’t be reckless. She needed to think it through carefully. Anything that wasn’t well thought out could result in having the entire city ban together with the duke. 

 

It didn’t mean she still didn’t want the duke’s head severed from his body.

 

She exhaled sharply and folded the paper up, setting it back into her jacket. She looked up at the snowfall and tried to momentarily forget about all of the things she’d just spoken to Josephine about. Instead, she was remembering all of the information Aravae had dumped on her. She’d spent her entire trip to the Fallow Mire and back preparing herself for the things she was going to hear, but to know that so much of her culture was founded upon incorrect information and was likely warped by oral transfer over the years was hard to take. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was going to do about that, either. What  _ could _ she do? What was Aravae planning on doing? What was her end goal? Ena couldn’t deny that she still completely trusted the woman and cared for her like a sister. She’d bled for Ena, broke bread with her, gave her advice that only helped her, and countless other things. 

 

Ena shook her head and took a breath. Parting her lips, she softly sang aloud to herself, “Melava inan enansal, ir su aravel tu elvaral u na emma abelas… In elgar sa vir mana, in tu setheneran din emma na…”

 

* * *

 

 

_ “...and she asked me if I knew the spell to remove vallaslin.” _

 

_ Solas’s brows raised in surprise. “She did?” _

 

_ Aravae nodded silently, leaning against Solas as they sat in a grassy field surrounded by moonlight and starlight. “She definitely took it hard, but...I’m sure she’s sorting through her feelings tonight.” _

 

_ “She continues to astound me,” Solas admitted, slowly dragging his fingertips along her back. “What of...Fen’harel?” _

 

_ “She asked several questions. That might be what she was most confused about. His image is so deeply rooted in their culture as a villain that it’s hard for her to accept anything different.” Aravae paused. “She actually asked a few questions about him. Was he still alive, where was he, and the like. I’ll admit, I froze for a second. I suggested perhaps he was in uthenera. Perhaps the most interesting thing… She asked me if I wanted to find him.” _

 

_ “What did you say?” Solas asked softly. _

 

_ “I mostly skirted around it. I told her I was too preoccupied to really think about it.” _

 

_ “I see…” _

 

_ Aravae looked up at the sky and gazed at the stars. Sitting underneath an open sky like she was now always made her feel incredibly small, which was partially comforting to her. The rest of the world felt so far away and she could have long moments of silence to herself. Having Solas sitting at her side only made her feel more reassured. While she continued to look at the dots in the sky, she felt him stop rubbing her back. His fingers then brushed gently near her ear as he tucked her bangs behind it. She felt a shiver run through her at the light, feathery touch. Glancing at him in a silent question, his expression softened. _

 

_ “Forgive me,” he whispered. “I only wished to be able to see all of your face.” Aravae’s cheeks warmed and she quickly averted her eyes. Solas chuckled tenderly. “This shyness really is an entirely different side of you.” _

 

_ She exhaled sharply through her nose and leaned her head into his hand as he cupped her cheek, his thumb absentmindedly drawing small circles on her skin. She shifted around to look at him once more, falling into the deep blue of his eyes. They had a shine to them she hadn’t seen before. It partially seemed mischievous, but mostly joyful. When he leaned in, she didn’t shy away. She let her eyes slide close and her tension melted away. _

 

* * *

 

Morning came all too soon. Aravae woke earlier than she’d wanted, but then again, if she got up and moving, she could probably finish working on her tower today. The help she’d received from the others had certainly moved things along much quicker than if she had done it on her own. She forced herself to rise and attempted to run a comb through her hair. She set it back in its braid and dressed for the day. When she walked out in the courtyard, where activity was beginning to pick up, other than the Bull’s Chargers and Cullen’s soldiers, both of which were already drilling, she spotted Varric walking with a much taller and cloaked figure. When she met his gaze in passing, he grinned more sheepishly than she’d seen before and he raised a finger to his lips. Though she frowned with confusion, she said nothing to him as he and the figure made their way up the battlements. 

 

Aravae grabbed a small portion of breakfast to get her energy up and attempt to motivate herself. She ran into Dorian, who was bright eyed and bushy tailed as always. With a loud declaration that made her want to muffle him with a barrier, he followed after her to help finish working on the tower. When Cole silently appeared, Dorian fell a little more quiet and seemed on edge, but Aravae ignored it. She knew the others weren’t fond of Cole since they didn’t understand what he was, but she couldn’t just come out and explain it, either. Even with her knowledge of spirits, Cole was a unique case that was hard to put into words. She’d heard Solas try and ease their worries, but she knew it was hard to break through their stubborn mindsets.

 

Between the three of them, they were able to finish by the afternoon. On the top floor of the tower, they’d made it more private than the levels below it, closing it off with an entire wooden floor. There was a door to push open from the floor entrance to gain access to her room, which she could keep locked from her side, if she wished. They’d brought in a small bed at Josephine’s insistence for all of the inner circle to have good sleeping quarters. There was a small nightstand with a few drawers for her to keep the few extra clothes she had, as well as any of her personal effects. She had stairs that led up to the top of the tower, into the open air, which they’d also placed a door to get to so that she could keep out the cold. Aravae was glad that Cullen hadn’t raised too much of a fuss at not giving his patrols full access to the top of the tower for lookouts. There was no way for any army to even attempt invading Skyhold from her side, but she promised to help keep an eye out to put his mind at ease.

 

“Home sweet home,” Dorian announced, clapping her on her shoulder. “I say we celebrate.”

 

“It’s barely after noon,” Aravae pointed out.

 

“Oh, my friend...it’s never too early for a celebratory drink.” 

 

“Right. Well, I suppose I’ll indulge you just this once, as a thanks for your help.” Aravae nearly rolled her eyes at Dorian when he held a hand to his chest, looking overly touched. She glanced at the quiet spirit boy. “Thank you for helping too, Cole.”

 

“I helped you, since you wouldn’t let me help before. Your worries have lessened, become more of a whisper than a shout.”

 

Dorian raised an eyebrow in intrigue while Aravae quickly shot Cole a look. “Yes, well… Thank you nonetheless, Cole. Would you like to-?” The boy vanished. “...Nevermind.”

 

The Tevinter mage shuddered. “I don’t see how you can tolerate his presence. It’s unnerving.”

 

“It’s too early for this debate, Dorian. Let’s just go get your drink.”

 

“ _ Our _ drink!” he corrected cheerfully. She grunted in reply.

 

They made their way out of her room, Aravae shutting the door behind them, and they strolled along the battlements, making their way towards the tavern. Just as they were about to place their requests at the bar, a messenger came running up behind them. “Lady Aravae. Ser Dorian. Your presence is requested by the Inquisitor in the war room.”

 

The two shared a quick glance before Dorian sighed in disappointment. “Let’s get that drink tonight, then. Off to business.”

 

Ena had apparently called an entire meeting with the inner circle and the council. When they walked in, most were already there. When Bull walked in last, Cullen asked him to shut the door behind him. It closed with a creaky  _ thud _ and it fell quiet in the room. Everyone was gathered around the large wooden table, a map of Thedas laid on top.

 

“Thank you for coming. There’s a lot to go over,” Ena began, her voice soft, not as strong as it usually was when they’d attended these meetings before. Aravae noted the bags under her eyes and felt a stinging guilt. Was what she’d told her partially weighing on her mind, preventing her from sleeping well? “The assassination attempt on Empress Celene will take place at her ball, which is three months from now and we have a lot of work to get done. I’ve spoken with Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine, and we’ve come to an agreement on how to approach these issues.”

 

There was a momentary silence as Ena glanced to Cullen at her left. He nodded and picked up from where she left off. “There have been reports of several issues rising out of Crestwood. There is a large Fade rift that is in the middle of the lake. Thanks to the flooding of their dam from the last Blight, there are countless corpses to get possessed and they now have onslaughts of undead and demons. There are highwaymen that have taken over Caer Bronach and are attacking passerby in the area. Crestwood is unable to even get any supplies now. On top of it all, there is a dragon going after their livestock. They are in dire need of help and we feel that we could send in most of you to tackle many of these problems at once.”

 

“There is also someone we are looking for hiding out near Crestwood,” Ena added. “There is a Grey Warden that is currently being hunted by his own. We’ve learned, thanks to Varric’s informant, that Corypheus may be influencing the minds of the Grey Wardens. This particular Warden has spoken out against what he believes is corruption in their ranks and because of that, he is now wanted. We need to get out there and find him first and learn what he knows. Blackwall.” Ena looked towards the man with a concerned expression. “Are you feeling okay?”

 

The older man looked a little troubled, but he shook his head. “I feel fine. If anything changes, I swear you’ll be the first to know.”

 

She nodded in relief. 

 

Leliana pointed to the map, taking over. “Next is the Emerald Graves. There is many that are affected by the current ongoing civil war between Celene and Gaspard. Some Orlesian refugees have fled here and their leader, a man named Fairbanks, wishes to speak with the Herald of Andraste and have the Inquisition help against a group calling themselves the Freeman of the Dales, deserters of both armies. This group is harassing the refugees. The main front of the war is here, in the Exalted Plains. For the moment, things are the same as they have been for some time. However, if it escalates any further, I daresay we should perhaps go there ourselves and take a look at the situation. There have been several reports of numerous Fade rifts that the Inquisitor needs to tend to and that can be our excuse for wandering into their lands.”

 

“Finally, this is where the village of Sahrnia, a well known village for its large quarry,” Josephine said. “We will be attempting to send them aid with our soldiers, first. Their river has frozen, so their only route in and out for trade has come to a halt. We will send supplies to them and do some more investigating into rumors we have heard about sightings of red templars in the area. Once we have more information, we will be able to come to a decision on how to precisely handle their situation.”

 

“First and foremost, Crestwood is in most dire need of our help and has our greatest chance at learning something more about Corypheus.” Ena took a deep breath, her voice growing stronger. She looked up from the table and around it at her friends. Aravae felt strangely relieved when she even locked eyes with her for a split second. “Can everyone be ready to leave two days from now?”

 

There was no hesitation from everyone as they nodded in agreement. She smiled at them. “Thank you. If anyone has any questions, let one of us know. For now, that’s all. Oh, but Bull, if you could stay behind for a moment, I have something to discuss with you about a mission for the Chargers.”

 

“Sure thing, Boss.”

 

Aravae noted how Varric was the first to clear from the room and how Cassandra sent a seething glare towards the durgen’len’s backside. She pondered if something had happened between the two. Then again, they were usually always arguing about something or another. Hopefully, they cleared it up before they argued the entire journey to Crestwood. At Dorian’s insistence, he urged Aravae along back to the tavern, determined to get his drink and several more to spend the next few days in a drunken stupor before having to be ‘all serious and business’.

 

* * *

 

“...and that’s all they’d need to do. It was Krem’s idea, but I think it might be a good one,” Ena finished saying.

 

Bull hummed in his throat, his arms crossed. “Yeah, I think that’ll work out fine. Who knows, maybe they’ll uncover something while they’re there. Survivors, hints of any remaining red templars, and so on. I’ll let them know this afternoon so they can prepare.”

 

“Thanks, Bull.”

 

“Mmhmm.”

 

Ena made a move to leave from the otherwise empty war room, but the qunari man blocked her path. She looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. His own eye peered down at her. “Well, I’m not trying to overstep boundaries or lines or anything like that, but… Is there something going on between you and Aravae? Are you fighting? You’re both tense as hell right now.”

 

Ena’s heart began pounded rapidly as she struggled to keep a level expression. She was attempting to collect her words to say, but Bull interrupted her thoughts.

 

“Something you can’t talk about, I get it. Well, if you can’t talk, care to spar?” he offered. “Anyone with eyes in their head can tell you’ve been preoccupied and conflicted. Obviously, you aren’t sleeping well. You need to let some of that out so that you can focus, especially with all of this shit coming up.”

 

_ A spar? With Bull? _ Ena considered it. She wasn’t ready to talk more in depth about things with Aravae. She wanted to sit on what she’d learned for some time and work through her feelings on her own. Then again, not wanting to talk to Aravae  _ did _ build up some tension inside her, swirling around constantly with all her other confused emotions. Bull was right. She needed an outlet of some kind. She found herself grinning ever so slightly. “Sure. Let’s go.”

 

Bull smirked and laughed shortly, patting Ena on her back. “Alright! I’m not gonna hold back, just so you know.”

 

“I’d prefer it that way,” she said.

 

“Good,” he nearly purred.

 

The two made their way out to the courtyard, near the armory. Though they were going to go all-out, the two also knew better than injure one another before their large missions. Bull went into the armory and retrieved a few wooden weapons for them to use. Ena accepted her two wooden daggers and rolled her shoulders. Bull tested the weight of his wooden axe, settling into a stance. “Whenever you’re ready, Boss.”

 

“I’m always ready, Bull.” She dashed towards him without warning, her grip tight on her daggers. Bull cried out triumphantly and swung his axe. Ena sank low to the ground to avoid it, scolding herself. That wooden plaything wasn’t as heavy as his normal axe, so the large man could move much quicker than normal. She obviously wasn’t focused, as he’d said. She should’ve thought of that beforehand. 

 

“Is that right? Then come at me like you mean it!” he bellowed, holding the axe level and charging towards her quickly.

 

She sidestepped and swung her daggers. He spun around, blocking the blows, and put his force into another swing. She brought the daggers up and grunted as the strength of his swing sent her stumbling sideways. She regained her footing and backflipped out of the way of a low kick. He chuckled and said something, but Ena didn’t catch it. Her blood was pumping now and she locked eyes with her opponent. She’d never sparred one on one with the qunari before. She refused to let the beast of a man get the best of her.

 

The two circled for a few seconds, waiting for the other to make a move first. The moment Ena shifted her weight into one of her feet, Bull tensed up, prepared to deflect. She shot forward and jumped over Bull’s horizontal slice. She was descending in her jump, her wooden, blunted weapons prepared to make contact with his skin when he reached up with a single arm and shoved her away. It knocked the wind out of her, but she managed to land on her feet. She wheezed and tried to catch her breath, but Bull didn’t give her a moment. He ran at her, axe raised above his head. As it came down, she brought her daggers up and stopped the attack, though her arms screamed in protest at the pure strength of the blow. Her knees began to buckle and she knew she needed to move. In a test of brawn, Bull would undoubtedly overpower her. She needed to be quicker and more clever than him. 

 

She lessened the amount of power she was putting into holding him back at the same time as she rolled away. Bull grunted as he stumbled forward, off balance. Ena hit a dagger on the backside of his leg as she jumped back up. As Bull shifted around to face her, she darted around to stay at his back. When she saw an opportunity, she jumped and clung to his horns with her arms, struggling to get into a position to force him to surrender.

 

“Oh, come  _ on _ !” He shook his head and reached up towards his head with a hand, trying to make a grab for her. She slipped out of the way of his snatches, but lost her footing and fell from his body. He swung around and smacked her in the side hard with the handle of the axe. She winced and held the offended area while she moved out of his range again. She spun her daggers around in her hand, thinking.

 

Without warning, she raised her left hand and threw the dagger at Bull. While he swung the axe to deflect it, Ena jumped towards him again and quickly threw her right dagger as well. The qunari cursed as he tried to shift out of the way, but the blunted weapon made contact with his chest and bounced off to the ground. The Dalish woman landed on the ground with a soft grunt, a smirk on her lips. Suddenly, the sound of cheers grew loud in her ears. She glanced around at the crowd that had gathered, a little surprised. She figured she had perhaps seen them in the background, but she had been so focused on Bull that she hadn’t paid them any mind. She saw Aravae mixed in with the crowd standing among the Chargers, Dorian, Sera, and Varric. The elf and dwarf exchanged coin.

 

Bull sighed and laughed lightly. “That was good, Boss. You might have had me when you jumped on me, but I’ve noticed you tend to do to that to your bigger opponents. You’re fast.”

 

“Thanks, Bull. I enjoyed that.” Ena walked up to him, smirking as she heard Cullen’s voice bark from somewhere nearby for people to get back to work. She held out a hand to him.

 

Bull took it, shaking it. “You look like you feel better. Maybe we should do this again.”

 

“I’d like that,” she agreed quickly.

 

Bull smiled at her before shifting his attention towards the crowd. “Krem! Did you bet  _ against  _ me?!”

 

“Don’t look at me, Chief! A man’s gotta put coin in his pocket somehow!”

 

“You bastard!”

 

Dalish laughed cheerily and called out, “Come now, Chief. Inquisitor, perhaps you’d like to help us buy the loser a drink?”

 

“Drink, yes!” Dorian shouted, a fist in the air.

 

As the two of them walked towards the group, Ena glanced up towards the sky. “It’s only the afternoon.”

 

“I already tried to tell them that,” Aravae said with a shake of her head, but a good natured grin on her face. “There’s no changing their minds.”

 

Ena found herself laughing. “Well… If you can’t beat them, join them, right?”

 

“Something like that, I suppose.”

 

“First round’s on Krem!” Bull declared.

 

“Damn it, Chief.”

 

Varric grinned and patted Ena on the shoulder as she walked up beside him. “We still need to hear the story of how you got that scar on your lip, Inquisitor.”

 

Ena burst into laughter.

 

“That good of a story, eh?” Sera giggled.

 

“No, the exact opposite!” Ena wheezed between breaths. She wiped a few tears away from her eyes. “I’m surprised this never came up sooner. No, there’s barely a story to it at all! I was running around after some of the older hunters in our clan, observing how they tracked. I was up in a tree and slipped off a branch and let’s just say my face became close friends with the rocks below.”

 

“That’s  _ it _ ?!” Sera paused, then doubled over in laughter herself, snorting a little when she gasped for breath.

 

“Here I thought we were going to get some amazing story about how you wrestled a bear or something and got out almost unscathed,” Dorian said with a sigh of disappointment.

 

“No, wrestling a bear belongs to Aravae,” Ena pointed out.

 

Aravae shrugged sheepishly while Bull nodded. “Yeah, those are some wicked scars you got on your arm now.”

 

“I thought we were going into the tavern.” Aravae spun on heel and made her way inside.

 

“Aww, she’s embarrassed. How precious,” Dalish purred, sauntering in behind her.

 

Ena laughed along with the rest of them and enjoyed her drinks and the company of her friends, glad to momentarily forget about all the troubles that had been weighing her down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Melava inan enansal/Time was once a blessing  
> ir su aravel tu elvaral/but long journeys are made longer  
> u na emma abelas/when alone within.  
> In elgar sa vir mana/Take spirit from the long ago  
> in tu setheneran din emma na/but do not dwell in lands no longer yours.  
> ~From Suledin, an elven song about enduring and emerging from sorrow.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me. I'm so incredibly touched - the hits skyrocketed last chapter and I got so many more kudos... You guys are the best. I have an outline ready to go for the next several chapters and the group's adventures before the Winter Palace comes around. I hope you're all ready, because I know I am!
> 
> As always, if you want to chat, you know where to find me! See you all next week! <3


	20. Chapter 20

Crestwood was in desperate need of help after all, even though the mayor of the village nearly turned down their offer. Ena could see the exhaustion in the man’s face, along with another emotion she couldn’t quite put her finger on. They gathered information from the villagers that would speak with them and the large group formed a plan. Ena split them up in order to have teams go establish a presence for a few campsites and to find the cave where the Grey Warden would be hiding out at while she and the others got rid of the highwaymen occupying Caer Bronach so that they could drain the lake and gain access to the large Fade rift. She would tackle that large job with Aravae, Iron Bull, Cassandra, Cole, and Dorian.

 

They mounted up and rode through the rain. Ena’s red hart, which she’d affectionately named Falon, lowed in displeasure. She patted his soaking wet neck sympathetically. Even their mounts were hating the pouring rain as much as the rest of them. She at least took solace in the fact that it wasn’t as smelly as the Fallow Mire was. Still, even her cloak wasn’t much use at providing protection with the constant downpour. She was already thinking of finding a dry spot to light a large fire to attempt at drying off. Perhaps if they took the keep, they could rest there before going after the Fade rifts in the area.

 

Thankfully, they hadn’t run into any of the highwaymen along their path to Caer Bronach. When Cassandra pointed it out ahead of them, they dismounted and hid from sight, trying to see if anyone was walking along the battlements. It was eerily quiet, save for the rain emitting a soft  _ tink _ off of armor. Ena looked to Bull with a grin. “Shall we knock?”

 

“Pleasure’s all mine. Everyone ready?”

 

Weapons were unsheathed and staves were prepared. They rushed at the door, but stayed far enough out of Bull’s swinging range. With a few grunts and strikes, the wooden doors of Caer Bronach gave way and Aravae and Dorian cloaked everyone with barriers. They heard surprised shouts and were met with forceful retaliation. The warriors charged in, followed closely by the rogues. They made sure to keep their steps steady, not wanting to slip on the slick stone. They quickly worked their way through Caer Bronach, the highwaymen not posing an extreme threat in terms of skill. There were just more of them. When they came to the leader, a large man wielding an axe, Bull grunted and sneered while shouting with excitement, “That’s more like it!”

 

By time it was over, there were few injuries to speak of; only a couple scratches and bruises. Cole went to retrieve the mounts and returned with Ena’s bag, upon her request. She thanked him and dug in it, pulling out a flag with the Inquisition’s sigil. As she raised it on the pole, she knew that their scouts and soldiers would be along shortly. The sense of accomplishment made her blood continue pumping quickly though she was still catching her breath like the others. She heard Dorian laugh dramatically before saying, “This rain is only amplifying our electricity, wouldn’t you say?”

 

“I...suppose so?” Aravae replied with a raised brow.

 

Cassandra sighed at the man and approached Ena, sheathing her sword after wiping it clean. “I suggest we wait until our forces get here before proceeding to the dam controls.”

 

“Yes, I suppose that’s not a bad idea,” Ena agreed.

 

The group moved out of the rain and sat under the shelter of the building. Aravae and Dorian went around with a spell to warm everyone and dry their clothes somewhat. Ena wasn’t going to complain. It was better than nothing. It was quiet while everyone caught their breath and cleaned their weapons, readying themselves for whatever was to come next. Ena noticed that Bull hadn’t spent much time by the fire, choosing to rather stand off to the side and look out over the keep. He looked tense.

 

Ena made her way over to him, trying to see if he was looking at anything in particular. He could probably see a bit farther than her, considering their height difference. Still, she saw nothing. “Bull? Everything okay?”

 

Though she was standing on his blind side, he wasn’t startled by her. He gave a small shrug and grunted. “Eh, just not a fan of the fog that’s rolling in. Puts me on edge.”

 

“The fog?” Ena looked out towards the rolling hills and noticed small areas were beginning to be covered by small clouds of fog. “How come?”

 

“Times back in Seheron,” he answered curtly. “People can hide in the fog pretty well.”

 

He hadn’t even looked at her. Whatever had happened back when he was fighting with the qunari forces must have been quite awful in order to make him react in such a way. The only other time Ena had even barely seen him fazed was because of demons. That was understandable. Still, she didn’t like seeing Bull this way. He was supposed to be rowdy, rambunctious, a wisecrack, not silent, tense, and lost in the ghosts of his past.

 

“Well, if anyone were to do that, we’re all here together.” Ena patted his arm. “I pity the individual who thinks he can take all of us on at the same time.”

 

Bull nodded and cracked a small grin. “True enough. I’m just wondering if we’re gonna get an opportunity to see that dragon that’s apparently nearby.”

 

“I would rather we keep our distance from it, personally.”

 

“Nooo,” he rumbled, “we need to see it  _ up close _ and in action! Can’t you imagine how glorious that would be?!” Ena opened her mouth to reply, but Bull interrupted her, adding, “That  _ fire _ , those  _ claws _ , the  _ scales _ , the  _ horns _ , the  _ roar _ … Mmm!”

 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you want to have sex with the dragon.”

 

Bull cast her a quick look and chuckled, not answering her question. He looked back towards the front gates and called, “Hey, they’re here.”

 

“In that case, let’s fill them in and get ready to go,” Cassandra suggested. 

 

Ena let Cassandra handle that as Leliana’s agent came in and greeted them first. She encouraged them to go on ahead and finish their mission. She would make sure that everyone else occupying the keep was informed and they would get things set up. With that, the group geared up, glowering at the dreary sky, and heading out to the backside of Caer Bronach. Ena pointed towards a small building across the top of the dam. “The controls should be somewhere in there!” she shouted over the rain.

 

They hurried along, anxious to get out of the rain again. It didn’t escape Ena’s notice that there was a sign on the building that read ‘The Rusted Horn’. Had it been a tavern at one point, some time ago? She opened the door, everyone hurrying inside, though they were already soaked through from the rain again. They shook off, stepping further inside, when a small giggle reached Ena’s ears. There was also light inside. How?

 

She rounded the corner and saw a young man and woman sitting on a bearskin rug. The woman gasped in surprise and their hands, which had likely been all over each other, shot back to their sides as they leapt to their feet. Ena gave a disbelieving look at the two of them as Bull and Dorian both sounded like they were choking down laughter. Cassandra made a disgusted noise with a shake of her head. “I  _ knew _ this was a bad idea,” the woman muttered accusingly.   
  


The man pleaded, “We didn’t know you were here, serah! Please don’t tell anyone!”

 

“How did you get past the guards?” Ena inquired.

 

“There weren’t any when we got here,” the woman replied quickly.

 

“We just heard you killed the bandits, Your Worship. We didn’t know you were moving in, we promise. You won’t tell people we were here, will you?” he asked again desperately.

 

Ena couldn’t resist her smirk. She had an idea of why they were sneaking around and didn’t need to fully delve into it. “I see you couldn’t resist the thrill of a decrepit pub.”

 

“There’s nowhere else!” the woman insisted. “Everyone is crammed into the village.”

 

“Lonnie’s parents would have a fit if they saw us.” The man glanced around at the company in the tavern once more, then heaved a sigh. “We’ll have to wait an hour to go back. Your father will still be up.”

 

“I knew this was a mistake,” the woman muttered.

 

“We could try the caves?”

 

“You hate spiders.”

 

“You find somewhere next time.”

 

Ena waved her hand. “Do whatever you want, just...stay out of the way, okay?”

 

“Of course, Your Worship.”

 

While the young couple continued to quietly squabble amongst themselves, the rest of them moved on, Bull and Dorian still throwing glances at each other and snickering quietly. Even Aravae scoffed with amusement. It didn’t take them long to find the controls to the dam, though Ena was quick to point out that she’d thought they were supposed to have been destroyed by Darkspawn a decade ago. The others exchanged looks of suspicion, but agreed to take care of one thing at a time. Between the men, they turned the controls and heard the roaring rush of water from outside. “That sounds like that worked. Let’s go take a look,” Ena said.

 

When they walked back outside into the rain, they looked down towards Old Crestwood and saw the water level receding. They started their walk along the top of the dam when there was a light rumbling in the air. Aravae came to a halt, reaching for her staff. “Do you all feel that?”

 

The others stopped as well, eyes darting in each direction, searching for the source. When an ear-piercing roar cut through the air, Bull laughed, pointing towards the sky. From the low clouds, a dragon flew just overhead of them, its powerful wings slamming them with chilly gusts of wind. It flew off in the opposite direction they were headed, thankfully, but Ena couldn’t help but stop and stare in awe at the beast. She had never seen a dragon so up close before.

 

“Today is a good day. Today is a  _ very _ good day!” Bull cheered. 

 

“Focus, Iron Bull,” Cassandra chided.

 

“Oh, come on!” he exclaimed, though he continued walking as soon as Ena did. “You can’t tell me from a long line of dragon hunters that seeing that didn’t just get your blood pumping!”

 

“We have a job to do.”

 

“You didn’t deny it.”

 

Cassandra grumbled and was about to turn away from him, but she saw Cole making a strange expression in her direction. “What is it, Cole? Why the odd looks?”

 

He tilted his head slightly. “Light pastry with blueberries, sticky on your fingers. Small hands reaching as Anthony tears his in half-”

 

“That’s enough, Cole. Stay out of my head,” Cassandra snapped quickly. The young man fell silent, casting tension over everyone.

 

Ena recalled the name. Cassandra had mentioned it before when telling Ena about herself. Anthony was her brother, but he was killed. That was all she knew about him. Whatever Bull had said about coming from dragon hunters must have triggered some memories for her. Ena wasn’t about to ask and push the issue. They headed down the hill towards Old Crestwood.

 

They made quick work of a Fade rift, though it wasn’t the main one they had been after. They wandered through the few remains of the buildings that managed to survive, Ena holding her breath when they found numerous skeletons, some seeming like they were trapped in an eternal embrace. One, they found, had a nameplate that was covered in scum. Bull wiped it away and announced it was the mayor’s former home. Ena glanced around inside while the others checked the surrounding area, looking for a way to get to the large rift in the lake, when she heard a flustered voice through the rain that didn’t belong to any of her companions. She stepped back outside the house remains and spotted Aravae and Cole looking in the same general direction of the voice. Ena approached them. “What is it?”

 

“I’m not positive. The Veil is so thin here and many people died here, so that is why you can see several spirits floating around if you look hard enough.” Aravae gestured to the area around them. Ena thought she had seen some things out of the corner of her eye, but she hadn’t realized it was spirits. She tensed, not sure how to feel about that. “It could possibly be a spirit. Shall we check it out?”

 

Ena nodded and moved closer towards the voice. “Move! No, the other way!” It huffed angrily. Ena looked around the beams of what used to be a house and nearly jumped a little. It was a spirit - or demon -, red in color, hovering in the air, glaring at a large rock on the ground before it. When it spotted Ena, it snapped, “You! You there! I  _ order _ you to tell me why nothing here heeds my commands!”

 

Ena blinked, shocked that it was so direct. She looked towards Cole. “Umm… Maybe you can give it some guidance, Cole?”

 

The boy gave a hesitant nod. “Maybe. My name is-”

 

“Ugh,” the spirit/demon spat. “Compassion. Did I ask  _ your  _ name?”

 

Cole recoiled slightly, as if he’d been physically slapped. “No… I’m sorry.”

 

Ena cleared her throat and stepped in. “Are you a spirit or a demon?”

 

The being barked dryly. “Demon? Those dolts who would suck this world dry? I am called to higher things.”

 

Ena was already regretting this, judging by the size of this spirit’s ego. “Okay, spirit then. What is a spirit like you…called to do?”

 

“I lead armies, kingdoms, lords. I am imperial. I am Command.” The spirit held its head higher. “What of you? I felt your coming. Is there something alike in us?”

 

The Dalish woman glanced behind her at Aravae, who gave a light shrug. “All you must have sensed was the Anchor in my hand.”

 

“Then you are less than I thought, but feel no shame. Some must follow those who lead.”

 

Ena’s nostrils flared. The last thing she expected when arriving in Crestwood was to be sassed at by a spirit. She took a breath and inquired with thin patience, “What’s so distressing about the real world?”

 

“It  _ ignores _ me! I order the rocks to part, but they do not! I bid the sky draw close, and it stays still! I don’t know how you mortals stand it.”

 

“Then why haven’t you gone back to the Fade?”

 

“I will not be denied. I refuse to leave until  _ something _ obeys my orders.”

 

Ena felt as though she were arguing with a child throwing a temper tantrum. Aravae interjected, “Perhaps we should help it, Ena. It shouldn’t remain here. Let’s at least hear it out.”

 

Ena scrunched her nose, but looked back towards the spirit. “Very well. What is your command...Command?”

 

“You will help me? Excellent! I have only one command. A creature made of rage had the  _ gall _ to chase me across the lake. Destroy it in my name and be rewarded!”

 

“A rage demon?” Aravae paused. “That should be simple enough for us to handle. Besides, the demon could go after others, as well.”

 

“Right… I suppose we’ll be back, then.”

 

“I await your return!” Command chirped rather pleasantly.

 

As the trio walked away from the spirit, Ena muttered, “What the hell did we just get ourselves into?”

 

“It isn’t like making a pact with a demon,” Cole said. “Command will not harm us. Or possess you.”

 

“I suppose that’s reassuring.”

 

“Inquisitor!” Cassandra called, waving them up towards a small hill. “We found the way down underneath the lake.”

 

“Underneath it?” Ena squeaked. “I thought we just had to get out there to it.”

 

“While we can see the light, the rift itself is still underneath the water,” Dorian pointed out. “But there’s caverns here, now that the water has drained. Former villagers must have used them for some reason. Let’s get this taken care of so we can get out of this wretched place.”

 

They made their way inside and headed down, taking careful steps on the slippery rocks. There were a few undead they had to push through, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. There were more wraiths wandering about in the caves, though they disappeared from view when the group got too close. Bull muttered unpleasantly just about the entire time. When they came to giant pillars that looked similar to things they’d seen before, Ena breathed, “There’s dwarven ruins down here.”

 

Dorian looked around in awe, touching a hand to the stonework. “The whole area is still lit up. Remarkable.”

 

“Let’s keep moving,” Cassandra urged.

 

Though they continued gazing at the ruins in wonder, they listened to the Seeker and pushed on. They didn’t get much farther before they turned the corner, Ena reaching for her daggers. “It’s the rage demon.”

 

“Let’s take care of it.” Aravae readied her staff.

 

Though the demon was of a larger size than normal, the group was still able to take care of it with only a few minor injuries to speak of. Once it gave a final roar as it faded away, weapons were sheathed. Ena’s hand began to pulse achingly the further in they went. “I think we’re close.”

 

They explored through the ruins, checking every room they had access to for the ominous green light of the Fade rift. When Bull called ahead that he’d found it, he let out a low whistle. “It’s pretty big, Boss. Already a shit ton of demons in there.”

 

Ena peered around the corner and steadied her nerves. It was just another Fade rift. She would seal it, like all others she’d done so far. Looking around to those with her, all nodding silently to indicate they were ready, she held tight to her daggers and charged in with them.

 

As Bull had so poetically put it, there  _ were _ a larger number of demons than usual. They dispatched the first wave of them quickly, most of them just being wraiths. The second wave came, always more powerful demons, but they, too, were disposed of. Ena began to lift her hand up when the rift continued crackling. She frowned in confusion before jumping backwards. “Careful! There’s more coming!”

 

“Good! Just got warmed up.” Bull rolled his shoulders, falling into his stance.

 

Aravae and Dorian made a good team, keeping barriers in check and creating a barrage of lightning to strike at the demons. Cole swirled around the battle, barely visible most of the time. Cassandra and Bull stuck close to Ena, keeping an eye out on her back. They worked through multiple more waves of demons until they were all dripping sweat and breathing heavily. When the rift finally stopped shifting, Ena raised the Anchor and set its magic upon it, drawing it closed.

 

“Let’s go,” she panted. “I’m ready to be up in fresh air again.”

 

* * *

 

Once they made it above ground, they were pleased to find that the rain was letting up at long last. Aravae went along with Ena to let Command know that the rage demon had been defeated and it could return to the Fade. The spirit giggled gleefully and left an amulet for them, which Ena hesitantly accepted. By then, the sun was beginning its descent in the sky, so Ena suggested they go back to the main camp to see if they had heard any news from the other team. Thankfully, they had. They’d gotten word that they’d been able to pick spots for a few other camps, they’d spotted several Fade rifts, and they’d found the cave where the Grey Warden was hiding out at. Scout Harding pointed out the location on the map for them and they began their walk back to Caer Bronach to get their mounts.

 

At long last, when they arrived at the location, they saw the rest of their companions hovering about the mouth of the cavern with none other than Marian Hawke. Ena cast a quick look to Cassandra, who appeared to be on the verge of exploding. Her nostrils were flaring, her brows were furrowed, and her eyes gleamed dangerously. Varric and Hawke had informed Ena that Cassandra may not be happy to learn about Hawke being so nearby, but Ena couldn’t risk her losing her temper now. Hopefully the woman would hold herself together until later.

 

They approached, Hawke grinning at Ena in greeting. Ena rather liked the woman from the conversation they’d had. While Hawke not only provided valuable insight about Corypheus, she also had quite the sense of sarcasm which covered up her sorrow of things that had happened in her past. Hawke led them into the cave, Varric making sure to keep as far away from the Seeker as possible.

 

They met with Stroud and heard his dire tale about what was happening in the ranks of the Grey Wardens. Again, Blackwall assured Ena that he felt fine and was most definitely not hearing any voices yet, compelling him for the Calling. All of the news put a pit in Ena’s stomach. Something terrible was likely to happen due to the Grey Wardens being manipulated by Corypheus. Not to mention, if the Wardens were going to be taking actions that the common people weren’t used to seeing, there was a possibility that they would not be able to be trusted again. She felt like the organization had its back up against a wall.

 

Hawke and Stroud assured that they would track down where the Wardens were going, though Stroud already had a hunch. However, they urged Ena to take care of other business while they investigated for her. She agreed to their help, thanking them, but she raised an eyebrow at them, saying, “Just please don’t take any risks for this. Stay safe.”

 

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t go wandering off to the Deep Roads,” Hawke said with a smirk, elbowing the Warden in his side.

 

“My, thank you for that vote of confidence,” Stroud murmured.

 

The large group headed out of the cavern, making sure that no one saw them, and they split away from the Champion of Kirkwall and the Grey Warden. As they all mounted, Vivienne informed Ena of what they had come across, the location of the Fade rifts they needed to take care of before departing again for Skyhold, and that they had taken care of the highwaymen.

 

“What about that dragon?” Varric questioned, still completely ignoring the icy glowering being shot at him by Cassandra.

 

“What about it?”

 

“Are we gonna...y’know?” 

 

Bull rumbled with laughter and looked expectantly at Ena. The redhead sighed lightly. “I’m not sure. It’s enormous and undoubtedly powerful. I don’t know if we’re ready to take that one yet.”

 

The qunari huffed in disappointment while Vivenne nodded approvingly. “Agreed. The last thing we need is for you to get mauled before the Winter Palace ball.”

 

“Yes, I’d like to keep mauling to a minimum. If it continues to be a problem, we’ll come back. Besides, there’s one out in the Hinterlands and the Storm Coast, too. There will be more opportunities, Bull.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled.

 

“Well, then, shall we head back?” Blackwall inquired.

 

“Indeed. Let’s go home.” Ena tapped her heels on Falon’s side, encouraging the beast to move forward, towards the Frostback Mountains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I am not dead. I am so, so sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up. For whatever reason, I hit a total block on it and could not, for the life of me, get out it. Hopefully, the next chapter should be up much sooner as I try to get back in the flow and on track again. It should also be a lot more interesting.
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for your kudos, bookmarking this, and your wonderful comments! Also a thanks to those of you who swing by to come see me on Tumblr! It means a lot.
> 
> I hope to see you all again soon!


	21. Chapter 21

Their return to Skyhold had been brief. They took two days to bathe, rest, eat, but time was short and duty called. Aravae and Ena had no time to talk about anything further regarding Arlathan or the Elvhenan, but Ena did fill her in quickly about the situation revolving Clan Lavellan. Leliana had no new information for her from Wycome, but assured the Inquisitor that she would send word to them in the field if something arose.

 

It was silent as they departed the morning of the third day. Their next destination would be the Emerald Graves. There was a man named Fairbanks that was requesting the Inquisition’s help and offered information of his own in exchange. Ena agreed to go and meet him when she heard about the Freemen of the Dales and how it seemed they were blindly attacking others. She wasn’t about to let senseless violence overtake an area that was precious to her people. 

 

It was late when they arrived at the camp. They gave their mounts to the soldiers in camp, letting them take care of them. Aravae patted her hart, Ghilana, as the beast was led away to food and water. She settled into the tent she was sharing with Ena and Cassandra, all too happy to lay down and close her eyes. She knew they would have an early start in the morning, so she wanted to get as much rest as she could before the sun came up.

 

* * *

 

_ “Fenedhis, Aravae. How did we let this happen?” _

 

_ Aravae looked to her friend, the normally gentle golden-haired woman now fierce, her sword and shield in hand. Her hair clung to her face and grime covered her. Aravae looked no better, her messy braid coming undone, sweat dripping from her face, which still bore Falon’din’s vallaslin. Her staff crackled with electricity, but she made no moves yet. Surrounding them were numerous servants - no, slaves - of June. They were bent at the knees, weapons at the ready, prepared to lunge at any given moment. “I don’t know, Elgara. We just need to hold them off. The others shouldn’t be far off.” _

 

_ “Others?” A laugh cut through the air, chilling the two to the bone. Aravae recognized that voice. From between his men, June himself approached, the man standing tall and regal. He had a sword hilt in his hand, but there was no blade attached to it. He didn’t need one. Being one of the Evanuris, June was incredibly powerful with magic and could make one with his own power. “There are no others coming to save you. But there  _ **_is_ ** _ someone looking for you.” He gestured towards Aravae. “If I take you back with me, I’ll finally hold some leverage over Falon’din. If you come quietly, I won’t have to scar up your face...too much.” _

 

_ Aravae snarled, her sparks flaring. “I don’t think so.” _

 

_ June raised his hilt up above his head. “I was hoping you would say that.” _

 

_ Aravae cried out and slammed her staff onto the ground, firing off electricity in all directions. Elgara, who had ducked to avoid it, called, “This way!” _

 

_ It had created a small opening and the women dashed between June’s slaves. Behind them, they could hear his bellowing order: “Don’t let them escape to the wolf!” _

 

_ Elgara glanced over her shoulder and saw their pursuers giving chase. Though they were weighed down with a little more armor, they were still not far behind. “We won’t be able to outrun them.” _

 

_ Aravae spun around and waved her staff, shooting more lightning at them before continuing to run alongside Elgara. Her lungs burned and her legs begged for her to stop running, to take a break. She pushed on, her blood pumping. “We just need to get a little further-” _

 

_ “Barrier!” Elgara shrieked, spinning around and raising her shield. _

 

_ Without questioning, Aravae stopped, planted her feet, and raised a powerful barrier around them just in time to block all the arrows that rained down on them. When she felt the spell weakening, she was about to try and reinforce it when she saw June charging ahead of his men, his grip tight on his hilt. He jumped with a roar and a mad glimmer in his eye, the magical blade forming as it brought it down. Aravae had no time. He could easily cut through her magic. She wasn’t strong enough to even faze him. Seeing that his blade was going to come down on her, she flinched, but didn’t run. She nearly let her eyes slide shut in preparation for the inevitable end- _

 

_ -When golden locks flew in front of her. Elgara raised her shield and shoved Aravae out of the way. Aravae couldn’t even hear her own scream as she watched June’s blade slice through her shield like a bread roll. He didn’t even pause as he finished his blow, gashing open the woman’s chest. Blood showered the ground as Elgara flew backwards. Aravae couldn’t help herself - she ran towards her friend, falling to her knees at her side. There was no fluttering eyelids, no shallow breathing. Her friend - the closest one she’d made since the loss of her family - was already dead. Her red lips were parted, blood trailing out from the corner. Her blue, now un-seeing eyes, gazed blindly towards the sky. Aravae wailed, the loss chipping away at her already cracked heart. _

 

_ She didn’t hear June approaching her from behind. He sneered at her undignified tears, readying his blade again. He raised it and brought it down. _

 

_ A ringing  _ **_clang_ ** _ and a familiar voice grunting in pain snapped Aravae from her sorrowful daze. She spun around and now saw auburn locks. Around her, she heard battle cries. Fen’harel and the reinforcements had come. Fen’harel had raised his arms and his enchanted armor stopped June’s blade, though only barely. A sliver of the blade pierced his brow, blood trickling down close to his eye. June snarled and jumped back. _

 

_ “Aravae, get up,” Fen’harel urged, wiping at his blood. _

 

_ Elgara died protecting her. Fen’harel had just been injured because of her. Aravae stood, her tears shifting into burning ones of rage. She raised her hands, swathing them with lightning. Her staff was out of her reach, nearby where June now was. She could manage without one.  _

 

_ She was sick of losing people, having them ripped from her grasp. She was sick of being protected. She was sick of all of the fighting. _

 

_ She hated fighting. But she could no longer stand by. She would fight at Fen’harel’s side and when - not if, when - they survived this...she would finally ask to have her vallaslin removed. _

 

* * *

 

She jolted awake, inhaling sharply. Ena took a step back in alarm. Aravae panted lightly and sat up in her bedroll, running a hand down her face. “Ir abelas. I just...didn’t have a good dream.”

 

“It’s okay,” Ena assured her. “I just figured I would wake you so you could grab a bite before we head out for the day.”

 

“Yes… Yes, I would. Ma serannas, I’ll be out shortly.”

 

Ena nodded, but hesitated before leaving the tent, as if she wanted to say more. She clearly decided against it, leaving Aravae to dress. While she slowly pulled her clothes and armor on, she could hear an amusing banter between Solas and Sera not far away outside.

 

“Have you ever had any interest in learning magic, Sera?”

 

“Get off?”

 

“While it has not manifested naturally, there are ways to determine whether arcane gifts lie dormant within you.”

 

“What?” Sera nearly squealed. “Don’t make me think about that. I have to sleep at night!”

 

Aravae could almost hear the chuckle in Solas’s voice. “Sleeping would give you the chance to explore the Fade. I could introduce you to spirits.”

 

“Right, you’re messing with me on purpose!” she insisted, though she sounded a little nervous.

 

Aravae stepped out of the tent just in time to see the slow drag of Solas raising his eyebrow. “Why would I do that? It is not as though I know  _ who _ filled my bedroll with lizards.”

 

Sera giggled sheepishly. “Heh. Fair point! That was pretty good.”

 

Aravae couldn’t help but release a small giggle of her own. She couldn’t imagine Solas being pranked in such a way. Still, it explained why she didn’t see him for long in the Fade last night before she fell into her memory. She joined the others around one of the small fires for a quick bite of breakfast before they broke camp.

 

Aravae hadn’t ridden much before they received horses from Dennet, but from all the practice she’d been getting since then, she felt like she was becoming better at it. She would even venture to say she was beginning to enjoy it, especially now that she had Ghilana instead of a horse. The hart felt like he gave her a much smoother ride than the rocky bump of a horse. In turn, it seemed that the red hart liked her in return. She was constantly lowing at Aravae and bumping her, demanding attention. She’d obviously never had a dog, but Aravae almost imagined that was what this was like.

 

Their meeting location with Fairbanks was not far, thankfully. It was even rather fast, with Ena having already made up her mind about helping them. Fairbanks thanked her sincerely and offered what information he had on the Freemen of the Dales and where they may be located in the forest. There were two main people that they needed go after named Sister Costeau and a chevalier named Auguste. Once again, the large group decided to split into two to take care of everything a bit faster. There was also many red templars that had been spotted, so they needed to be taken out as well.

 

Ena divided them. With her would be Bull, Sera, Varric, Dorian, and Vivienne. That left the other team to be consisted of Aravae, Solas, Cassandra, Blackwall, and Cole. They each had their missions and they set off, wishing the others good luck.

 

Though Aravae was happy to have Solas in her group for once, she almost wished that she’d had...less of an awkward silence group. They made their way through the forest cautiously atop their mounts. Anytime Cole attempted to speak, it usually made Cassandra or Blackwall uncomfortable, so they tried to shut him down. Aravae felt a little bad for him, being treated in such a way by most of their companions simply because they didn’t understand him and how he functioned. She was also thankful, however, that he hadn’t said any cryptic things about her that would raise eyebrows.

 

At one point, when they passed by a statue, Cassandra gazed up at it with a rather sorrowful expression. “They say a tree for every warrior that died defending it.”

 

Solas gave a neutral nod. “That is what they say, yes.”

 

“That is...rather sad to think about.” She looked up towards the canopy and around them, a herd of curious, but cautious, halla watching them. “Especially when it is such a beautiful forest.”

 

“It is,” Aravae agreed, to both of her statements.

 

Blackwall suddenly shushed them, hopping off of his horse and leading it off the trail. Without questioning, the others followed suit, making an attempt to stay low. When Cassandra came up beside him, her face holding a silent question, he quietly drew his sword. “There’s a patrol of those Freemen just up ahead. I saw them through the trees.”

 

“How many?” Solas inquired, pulling his staff from his back.

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“...Five,” Cole muttered. “Maker damn the civil war. Empress, Duke, why fight for either? Flee to the forest, but we will be pursued. If not pursued, giants and dragons. Why did we pick this forest? At least there’s plenty of people to pick off of, get their supplies, chase them out.”

 

Instead of telling him to be quiet, Cassandra’s brows furrowed. “Giants and dragons? Here?”

 

Cole blinked and gave an innocent shrug. “That’s what he was thinking.”

 

“Either way, let’s take care of this,” Blackwall said shortly. He peeked around the tree for only a moment. He locked eyes with everyone before giving a curt nod.

 

They leapt from their hiding place, Aravae and Solas wrapping the others in a barrier. As Cole said, five stunned men were on the trail before them. They recovered quickly, drawing their weapons to defend themselves. Cassandra and Blackwall charged in, shields up and swords at the ready. Cole all but vanished as he snuck around to the back, attempting to flank them and quickly take out the mage in their midst. Aravae and Solas aimed their spells carefully, but with everyone in such close combat, it was tricky for them to be of much assistance.

 

Quickly enough, their foes were defeated, their blood staining the greenery. The last one breathing shallowly with a deep gash in his side, Blackwall knelt beside. “Where is Sister Costeau?”

 

The man looked up at Blackwall with a mixture of emotions, anger seeming to be the dominant one. “All we wanted...was...to be away from...from all of this war.”

 

“I know, lad,” Blackwall murmured softly. “But that didn’t give you the right to go around attacking innocent people who had nothing to do with it.”

 

He chuckled softly before coughing and wincing in pain. “Well...can’t take it back now…”

 

“Let me help put an end to all of this, lad. Where is the sister?”

 

“In...the Veridium Mines.” Once Blackwall nodded his thanks and stood, the man’s eyes widened. “Wait! Please, don’t… Don’t leave me like this. Please…” His hand crept towards his sword.

 

“...Are you certain?” Blackwall asked gently.

 

“Yes, please…”

 

Aravae averted her eyes as Blackwall aimed his sword at the man’s chest. She didn’t want to watch that. She’d seen enough senseless bloodshed to last her several lifetimes. She didn’t want to watch the life leave that young man’s eyes. Still, she couldn’t shut her ears as she heard the breath rush from his body. The cooling sensation of Solas’s aura brushed against the back of her neck - the only way he could comfort her at the moment.

 

“Mother screaming, Father burning, Eugene trying to run, but an arrows strikes him down. I tried to do the same, but I didn’t make it either,” Cole whispered. “The smell of Mother’s stew, a warm fire in the hearth… He wanted to die.”

 

Cassandra led the way as they returned to their mounts. She dug in one of the saddlebags and pulled out a map she’d gotten from Scout Harding on the area. She skimmed it for a moment before tapping on it. “There. The Veridium Mines shouldn’t be too far.”

 

Aravae rubbed Ghilana’s neck as she climbed back into the saddle, the hart lowing happily at the action. As they pressed on, Aravae felt the images of her dream from the night before trying to scratch their way to the surface. She tried to force them back down, but all she could see what Elgara’s blank face staring up at the sky, much like how the young man’s body now was.

 

“She died to protect me. Why couldn’t it have just been me? If it had been me, I could have gone to see them again-”

 

Aravae inhaled sharply. “Cole.”

 

The spirit boy hung his head. “I’m sorry. I did it again, didn’t I?”

 

The guilt suddenly tore at her. She knew that he was only doing what he knew in order to try and help. “It’s okay. Just...not right now, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

The rest of their journey to the mines were uneventful. They passed no other patrols, though they did see a large bear in the distance. They made sure to veer out of the way, not wanting to cross paths with its enormous claws. When they came to the entrance, they were not surprised to see it was guarded. Unfortunately, this time, they were spotted. They dismounted quickly, Aravae shooing their mounts off. She knew they wouldn’t go too far, but she didn’t want them to be caught in crossfire.

 

Though these men were well trained from their armies, they were still unable to match the strength of the inner circle of the Inquisition. They did come away with a few bruises and scratches, but nothing that a small healing draught couldn’t fix. Blackwall led them inside, the group moving as quietly as they could, sticking close to the wall. Braziers were lit, the dancing flames casting shadows over the walls and floor. They tiptoed down the steps and came to a halt. Blackwall shifted to peer around the corner. When he flattened his back against the wall again, he looked to the others, gesturing with his sword for them to be ready. Once they nodded, he stepped out.

 

There were only a few other soldiers with Sister Costeau, who was clearly ready for an attack since she was wearing all of her armor. When she spotted them, she cried out in alarm, the soldiers all leaping to their feet, brandishing their weapons. “Fairbanks’ people again? I’ve had enough of these intrusions!” Costeau snarled, charging in behind her people.

 

Again, as the frontline troops, Blackwall and Cassandra clashed with the first of the soldiers. Two of them ganged up on Cassandra, so Cole slipped around to help her. Costeau slipped past them and charged at the mages. When she raised her mace to attack, Solas stepped in front of Aravae, raising his staff to block the attack. “You’ll never make it out of here alive!” the woman hissed.

 

“Doubtful,” Aravae retorted quickly with a sneer, waving her staff and shooting lightning bolts at her. The force of them caused her to step backwards. In that quick moment of opportunity, Solas opened his palm, the green aura of the Fade gathering around it. He made a yanking gesture and a piece of the mine wall came crumbling out of place. He threw his fist forward and the chunks of rock flew at Costeau, knocking her back towards the main fray. Aravae quickly followed up by placing glyphs on the ground around Costeau, leaving her nowhere to run.

 

Blackwall shoved his opponent back, causing him to stumble onto one of the glyphs. In the moment where his body seized up from the electricity, Blackwall delivered his final blow and then turned his attention to Costeau. The woman bellowed a fierce battle cry and lunged at Blackwall. However, with Cassandra and Cole making quick work of the other soldiers, the odds were not in Costeau’s favor. She didn’t go down without a hard fight, pushing herself beyond her limits, still attempting to raise her mace and strike at them until Cole came up behind her and drove his dagger through her.

 

Within the mines were a few cells. Solas located the keys to unlock them, passing them off to Cassandra. The few people that had been trapped thanked them immensely, assuring them that now they were free, they could get back to Fairbanks on their own. Though they didn’t look sure about it, Blackwall and Cassandra let them go on ahead. They skimmed through the mines for a short time, looking for any other clues or valuable information, but there wasn’t much. 

 

Once they were out in the fresh air again, Aravae took a deep inhale of it. She didn’t care for those dark and musty places. They made her skin crawl. Blackwall whistled loudly and their mounts came running towards them. They were beginning to make their way back to a rendezvous point they had picked out with the others when Solas hummed. Aravae looked towards him. “What is it?” 

 

“That over there.” He pointed through the trees where one could barely make out a stone wall. “Is that a mansion?”

 

“In the middle of the forest?” Blackwall muttered indignantly.

 

Cassandra consulted the map. “Hmm, Harding doesn’t have this section filled out.”

 

“Should we investigate?”

 

“It couldn’t hurt.”

 

They veered their mounts off trail and towards the large building, which was complete with a tall gate. However, there were no signs of life anywhere around them. No guards, no lights burning inside the mansion. Aravae spotted a sign on the gate and read aloud, “Chateau d’Onterre… If I’m pronouncing that right.”

 

“It was close enough, my lady,” Blackwall replied with a slight chuckle.

 

“This is strange.” Cassandra slid off of her horse. “Let’s go and check the interior before we head back.”

 

The others followed along behind her nonchalantly. That is, until Cole said ominously, “She knows we’re here.”

 

Aravae and Solas exchanged a slightly concerned look.

 

* * *

 

“Shouldn’t the others have been here by now?” Varric pointed out, concerned. “It’s getting late. Do you think they ran into more trouble than they could handle?” 

 

“That group? More than they could handle?” Bull scoffed. “Right. Maybe if they ran into Corypheus in here and I highly doubt that.”

 

“They probably ran into a bear.” Dorian waved his hands dramatically. “There was an epic showdown between Aravae and nature. She needed to take her revenge.”

 

Vivienne raised an eyebrow. “Have you been reading Varric’s novels?”

 

“The Lady of Iron reads my novels?” Varric gaped slightly.

 

Sera burst out into laughter. “I can’t imagine Madam whatever readin’  _ Varric’s _ stuff!”

 

Ena gave a small shrug while Vivienne shot an icy glare at Sera. “I feel now like I’m the only one who hasn’t. But really, do you think we should go and look for the others? I mean, we closed  _ three _ rifts  _ and _ took care of Auguste. They should have been back by now.”

 

“Yeah, maybe.” Bull stood and stretched. “But where should we even start? This is kinda a huge forest, Boss.”

 

“No, wait.” Sera squinted, looking off in the distance. “I think I see ‘em.”

 

The others went over to the Red Jenny and looked in her general direction. Between the trees, the other group was slowly making their way towards them. Ena frowned. They looked to be exhausted and a little beaten up. When Blackwall, who was leading, spotted them, his face only brightened a little. Ena and her group walked out to meet them. “Are you all okay?”

 

Blackwall scratched at his beard. “Well, umm, everything went fine. We took care of Sister Costeau…”

 

“ _ Someone _ wanted to go and explore an abandoned mansion,” Aravae grumbled from behind him.

 

Ena’s concern grew. Even Aravae looked weary and filthy from battle. “An abandoned mansion?”

 

Cassandra flushed. “I apologized, didn’t I? Besides, it worked out. While we were...leaving, we caught sight of a red templar. We tracked him and took him down. Judging by the documents we found,” she waved a rolled up parchment in the air, “it looks as though he had been manipulating the Freemen. There shouldn’t be any further issues with them here.”

 

Ena took the parchment from her, scanning over it. What she said was true. She narrowed her eyes at the words. It seemed that there were no bounds to Corypheus’s influence. “Are any of you injured?”

 

“I think we are all just ready to go back to camp and relax,” Solas replied.

 

“Well, let’s go, then.”

 

They all mounted up and turned them down the trail towards their main camp. Ena fell back in line to ride alongside Aravae. She couldn’t help but give an amused smirk to her long-haired friend. “It sounds like you all had quite the adventure.”

 

“I’ve seen enough undead to last a lifetime,” Aravae muttered. “But what about you? You all seem okay.”

 

“Yes, we took care of Auguste and closed the Fade rifts. We were just talking about coming to find you when Sera spotted you.” Ena paused. “I think we’re all just tired and hungry.”

 

“I agree. I’ll probably pass out as soon as I hit my bedroll.” When Ena giggled, Aravae looked at her with confusion. “What?”

 

“I’m sorry. I just… I don’t think I’ve ever heard you like this before.”

 

Aravae grunted. “My nerves are fried. On top of the undead, when you have Cole narrating the thoughts and feelings of them and spirits, you’re kind of constantly on edge. I think I’m only just now starting to relax.”

 

“That  _ does _ sound trying,” she said sympathetically.

 

There was only a small amount of chatter between the rest of them as they grew closer to camp. Varric was saying something loudly about how much dinner he wanted to eat when Dorian spoke up. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked. What’s a deshyr from the Merchant’s Guild doing in the middle of a battle against ancient evils?”

 

Varric drawled, “I could ask the same thing of a pampered, noble Tevinter.”

 

Dorian gasped. “You can’t call me pampered. Nobody’s peeled a grape for me in  _ weeks _ .”

 

The dwarf chuckled with amusement. “Talk to Josephine. She can arrange something.”

 

“Well, I can promise you that no one in that camp is going to be peeling them for you, Vint,” Bull called from the front. “And I can prove it very shortly.”

 

“Wait,” Sera said quickly for the second time that day. “Why is that guy runnin’ towards us, flappin’ his arms like a chicken?”

 

“I don’t want to know,” Bull grumbled.

 

The soldier that was running towards them suddenly stopped and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Inquisitor! Be careful!”

 

Ena pulled Falon to a halt. “Of…?”

 

A loud roar erupted from their left, spooking all the mounts. Bull snapped his head over to look and bellowed, “Bear!”

 

“Are you shitting me?!” Varric pulled Bianca from his back and got her ready. “Why can’t we get away from them?!”

 

Ena drew her daggers and leapt off of Falon, smacking him on his flank so that he would run off. The others quickly followed suit, all eyes bulging once they saw the size of the bear. Aravae and her group had seen a great bear earlier in the forest, but this was even bigger. Its snout was gray and its body was covered in scars. It was clearly old and very strong. One swipe from its claws could be fatal. 

 

The warriors charged up, catching the bear’s attention but making sure to try and keep out of its range. Already, Blackwall had to duck and came too close for comfort with the sharp tips of its right paw. The mages went to work making sure that a barrier was around each person, then looking for openings to fire spells at it. Aravae and Dorian attempted stunning it while Solas tried freezing it to the ground and Vivienne threw carefully aimed fireballs towards its head. All this did was enrage the beast. It lunged towards Bull, but he sidestepped out of the way and swung his axe. The bear groaned as the blade cut through a small section of its shoulder. Just as it was about to swing around and go for Bull again, Sera and Varric unleashed a barrage of arrows. Several embedded into its back, effectively slowing it down.

 

Ena and Cole snuck around to its backside and together with Cassandra, struck at its legs. The bear roared in pain as its back legs gave out on it. Taking the opportunity, Blackwall ran in and drove his sword into the beast’s throat at the same time that Varric landed an arrow on the side of its skull. There was a loud exhale as the breath flew from the bear’s body, coupled with a heavy thud as it fell. Everyone panted heavily while Sera muttered darkly, “Bears.”

 

The soldier from camp came running up to them, a couple others now with him. “Inquisitor! Everyone! Are you all okay?!”

 

“I think we’re fine.” Ena ran a hand through the bear’s thick coat. “We won’t let all of this go to waste. Let’s drag its body back to camp and start work immediately on skinning it.”

 

He saluted after a moment of hesitation, taking in the full size of the beast. “As you say, ma’am! It started attacking camp a few hours ago. We managed to scare it off, but I think its den is just over there.”

 

“Hmm. A few of us will go check it out. The rest of you, start figuring out a way to get the bear back.”

 

Ena started walking towards the direction the soldier pointed at. Aravae, Solas, Cassandra, and Varric followed after her. There was a moment of silence just before they heard Bull grumble, “Why are you all looking at me?”

 

As assumed, the den was just out of sight of the camp, the entrance a gaping, dark hole. Solas summoned a flame for them so that they could see better. The den was empty, save for the overwhelming amount of bones that littered the ground. The main thing was, they didn’t see any other bears lurking within. Something reached their ears, though: a low growling sound, though it wasn’t deep enough to be a bear. Aravae summoned her own flame and pointed. “Look. Over there.”

 

“What is that?” Cassandra narrowed her eyes, trying to see.

 

Aravae took cautious steps forward, Ena and Solas not far behind her. At the back of the den, a dark figure was laying on the ground, its reflective blue-green eyes staring at them, not blinking. The closer they got, the more the creature growled. A long tail swished at its rear. Aravae could see the long whiskers, the claws extracted from its paws, it’s sleek, black fur. “I think...it’s a panther cub. But what’s it doing here? I thought they lived in places like Antiva.”

 

“We spotted a destroyed camp earlier. It had cages. Smugglers could have been here,” Ena said softly. “It doesn’t look  _ too _ young, but I don’t think it’s fully grown, either.”

 

“It’s injured,” Solas pointed out. “Its side.”

 

As he’d said, on its left side, there were three deep claw marks going down its body vertically. Judging by the amount of blood, it had been there a while. Aravae frowned. “The bear must have injured it.”

 

“We should probably put it out of its misery,” Varric said somberly, still holding Bianca.

 

“Yes, you’re right. We shouldn’t let it suffer.” Ena started to draw one of her knives, but Aravae spun around to look at her.

 

“Wait. Let me see if I can help it, first.”

 

“Help it?” Cassandra sounded dumbfounded. “It’s a wild animal. It won’t let you get close to it.”

 

Aravae ignored her. “Solas, can you give me more light?”

 

The elvhen man gave her a concerned look, but after seeing the determination in his eyes, he did as she asked, making the flame grow. Aravae gestured for the others to step back while she knelt down, reaching into a pouch on her belt and taking a sip of a lyrium potion. The panther continued to growling, its hair raising, but it was clearly too weak to stand and defend itself.

 

“Hush,” she said soothingly. “I’m going to help you. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re okay.” She crept closer. The panther tried to jump up to its feet, baring its fangs at her, but it toppled and slid back down to the ground, bones crunching underneath it. “Yes, see? You’re a fighter. You don’t want to die here. You just have to let me help you.”

 

She stopped moving and held her hands up slowly, trying to show it that she meant no harm. It continued staring at her, the light still reflecting off it its eyes. Its growling grew softer, but its hair remained upright. Aravae sat there, still as a statue, barely even breathing. It felt like an eternity, but the panther ceased its growling. It lay its head down on the ground, making a noise that sounded like a defeated sigh. Aravae could see how tired the poor creature was. She moved closer still. Though it kept a close eye on her, it didn’t make a move. Behind them, Varric had Bianca locked and loaded, ready to pull the trigger if he needed to.

 

Aravae moved incredibly slow as she brought her hands to the panther’s wounds. She didn’t touch it, but wrapped her hands in the soft, green glow of healing magic. It -  _ he _ , she noticed - made a few grunts of pain and shifted, but it still didn’t try to strike her. As she worked, trying to stitch up the gashes, she sang a soft song, trying to continue soothing the poor large feline. “Elgara vallas, da’len, melava somniar… Mala taren aravas, ara ma’desen melar… Iras ma ghilas, da’len, ara ma’nedan ashir? Dirthara lothlenan’as bal emma mala dir… Tel’enfenim, da’len, irassal ma ghilas. Ma garas mir renan, ara ma’athlan vhenas…”

 

Ena’s breath hitched slightly. She knew that song. It was a Dalish lullaby that was sung to young children to help them to sleep. She wasn’t sure that Aravae had ever heard it, since most of Clan Lavellan had older children. Could that possibly mean that they at least had one thing right? Even just a small lullaby?

 

Her hope was swatted as realization struck her. Even if it was right… Aravae had a daughter once. Did she used to sing this song to her?

 

The melody died away as did the lights around Aravae’s hands. She sighed heavily and looked at the panther’s face. He seemed a little confused. It moved slowly, testing its weight. Though she could see his legs shaking, he remained upright. She’d managed to at least stop the wounds from bleeding. She couldn’t give it more blood. It was just need to try and rest to continue healing. She stood, keeping her movements vigilant, and felt a twinge of pity for him. As Ena had stated, he wasn’t fully grown at all. He was perhaps close to being halfway there. He was just a poor creature, pulled from his home and now in a strange land.

 

Why could she relate so well to an  _ animal _ ?

 

She held a hand out to it, hearing Ena’s cautionary words. The young panther stared at her hand before flicking its eyes to look at the others in the den. Its gaze settled on the flame in Solas’s hands, beginning to tense up again. “Solas, put out the light, please.”

 

“We won’t be able to see,” Cassandra snapped.

 

“We can,” Ena reminded her. “Go ahead, Solas.”

 

Solas nodded and extinguished the flame, letting his hand fall back to his side. He, Ena, and Aravae could see well enough in the dark den. The panther seemed to relax, turning its dark brown eyes back to Aravae’s hand. It studied it and her for several long moments before it took a step closer. Aravae dared to lean toward and put her hand right before his face. If he was going to take a chunk out of her, now was the prime opportunity for him to do so. Instead, he gently pressed his head against her hand, a low, rumbling purr emitting from his throat. Aravae rubbed him slowly. “Yes, you are just scared, aren’t you?” she whispered. “You’ll be alright. I’ll help you get better.”

 

“Are you suggesting it come with us?” Ena asked slowly.

 

“Are you suggesting I just leave him here?” Aravae looked at Ena with a small grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he doesn’t eat anybody.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I did it! A week! *laughs evilly*
> 
> The song Aravae sang was Mir Da'lan Somniar. I will provide the translation at the bottom, thanks to the Dragon Age Wiki page.
> 
> I actually had a dream several weeks ago of Aravae having this encounter with a panther and it stuck with me. I really enjoyed writing that last section. As well as the amusing hints as to what happened at Chateau d'Onterre. I hope this chapter was a bit more exciting than last week's and that you all enjoyed it! You know how much I appreciate and love all the kudos and comments you guys leave. <3
> 
> I'll see you all next week!
> 
> Elgara vallas, da'len - Sun sets, little one,  
> Melava somniar - Time to dream  
> Mala taren aravas - Your mind journeys,  
> Ara ma'desen melar - But I will hold you here.  
> Iras ma ghilas, da'len - Where will you go, little one  
> Ara ma'nedan ashir - Lost to me in sleep?  
> Dirthara lothlenan'as - Seek truth in a forgotten land  
> Bal emma mala dir - Deep with in your heart.  
> Tel'enfenim, da'len - Never fear, little one,  
> Irassal ma ghilas - Wherever you shall go.  
> Ma garas mir renan - Follow my voice--  
> Ara ma'athlan vhenas - I will call you home.


	22. Chapter 22

Aravae spent the night outside with the panther cub, which wouldn’t come too close to camp. She was honestly a little surprised to see that he had followed her to begin with, but he didn’t seem too fond of anyone else. Needless to say, everyone else from the inner circle that saw it were quite shocked and kept their distance. Solas even cast her a wary look that she interpreted as his warning for her to be careful. She nearly rolled her eyes at him. Nearly.

 

The cub looked around towards the trees, his tail swishing back and forth. Aravae hoped he wasn’t going to try and climb. He would probably rip his side back open. Thankfully, he made a low groaning noise and curled up at the base of the massive tree instead. Aravae, though still cautious, sat down not far away from him. His dark brown eyes stared at her with curiosity as he rested his head down on his paws.

 

“Hmm… I suppose you could use a name, little one,” Aravae mumbled softly to him. “A few things jump out at me, but which one…?”

 

His head snapped up and he looked towards the camp. Ena was slowly making her way over, carrying a plate of food for Aravae. He didn’t growl at her, but his fur did start to raise. Aravae stood to walk over and meet her so that she didn’t have to get too close to the panther. “Ma serannas. I’m quite hungry.”

 

Ena nodded in acknowledgment, her golden eyes looking towards the large feline. “So you really think he’d follow you out of the forest?”

 

“I suppose we’ll see come tomorrow. We’re heading for the Exalted Plains next, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. Oh.” Ena clapped her hands. “That reminds me. The scouts found a few more rifts here in the forest. So, I figured I’ll keep a group with me to take care of the rest of them, but the others go ahead and get a day’s head start on going to the plains. I’ll catch up and take care of ‘Inquisitor’ or ‘Herald’ things, but I know that there’s a lot more going on there than just Fade rifts and demons that the rest of you can go ahead and start taking care of.” At Aravae’s raised eyebrow, she demanded with a small laugh, “What?”

 

“You’re really starting to step up and become a leader,” Aravae explained. “It’s just interesting to watch. I’m proud of you, lethallan.”

 

Ena flushed lightly. “Ma serannas, Aravae. That...means alot coming from you.”

 

She nodded with a smile. “You’re welcome. Well, you better get back to camp so you can rest. Besides, you don’t want to leave Bull all alone.”

 

“Wha-what?!” Ena squeaked.

 

“Hmm?” Aravae sat back down by the panther, leaning against the tree. “I thought you two were... I’ve noticed you sticking rather close to him lately.”

 

“I-! I don’t-!” Ena huffed in embarrassment and made her way back to the others, Aravae laughing after her.

 

* * *

 

When morning came, the Inquisitor’s group was divided yet again. Ena kept them in their same groups as the day before, casting a light glare in Aravae’s direction when she named Bull to also be in the party. They wished each other luck and they mounted up, going their separate ways. Aravae was the only one not yet up on Ghilana. She gestured for the others to go on ahead, that she would catch up. Though they didn’t look sure about it, Cassandra assured her they wouldn’t ride too fast.

 

Once they left, Aravae led Ghilana out of camp, seeing the panther stalking them in-between the trees. As soon as she was out of view of them, she patted Ghilana and asked her to stay where she was. She walked towards the panther and crouched down, offering a hand out. “Come here, da’falon.”

 

He slowly made his way towards her, sniffing her hand before rubbing his head into it. His eyes then focused on Ghilana. Aravae gave him long strokes down his back. “Now listen, da’falon. Ghilana is a friend, too. If you are to come along, you must get along with her - and all the other horses and harts. They are not your prey. Understand?”

 

He blinked at her questionably. She sighed lightly and stood, walking back towards Ghilana. She took hold of her reins and scratched her face. “Don’t panic, Ghilana.”

 

The panther took extremely cautious steps up to the hart, sniffing the air. Ghilana began to breathe heavier, but Aravae’s coos and shushes helped to calm her. When he was close enough, Ghilana lowered her head to smell at the creature, likely one she’d never seen before. He mirrored her, examining her closely. After several long seconds, Ghilana raised her head and snorted loudly through her nostrils, but her breathing calmed. Likewise, the panther continued looking at her, but he didn’t gaze at her like his breakfast. Aravae smiled with confidence. The first obstacle was overcome. Now she would see if he would leave the forest with them. She climbed up into the saddle and urged Ghilana to go. As she began walking, Aravae glanced back. Without any hesitation, the panther padded silently after them.

 

It took some time before they cleared the forest, but when they did, Aravae could see the others in the distance, not too far away. She let Ghilana continue walking in the open field for several paces before slowing her to a stop. Another quick peer over her shoulder and she saw the panther, still within the treeline, watching her hesitantly and with a little bit of panic. “Come on, da’falon. You’ll be safe with me,” she encouraged him.

 

He looked fixedly at her, his eyes occasionally shifting from side to side, examining the fields beyond the trees. He took a heedful first step, nearly freezing in place as he looked around more. Aravae called to him again. He took a few more steps, then froze, staying as low to the ground and in the cover of taller grass as he could. With slow progress, he made his way over to Aravae and Ghilana. He turned his eyes to look up at her, still shining with mild terror. Aravae leaned over and rubbed his head reassuringly. “Well done, da’falon. If you’re going to come with us, you’ll need a name. Banal’ras. Simple, but to the point. What do you think?”

 

He jumped slightly when Ghilana sneezed, looking even more alarmed than before. He was clearly uninterested in whatever Aravae had been saying. She shook her head and muttered, “Oh, fine. Let’s go.”

 

They caught up with the rest of the group, though Aravae kept a little bit of distance, not wanting to alarm the other mounts or make Banal’ras too nervous. He was already well outside his comfort zone. Blackwall grunted, “It’s your pet now, huh?”

 

“He’s a wild animal still,” she assured him. “He’ll do as he pleases. He just happens to be scared and alone in an unfamiliar territory. I suppose he’s grateful that we saved him.”

 

“That  _ you _ saved him,” Cassandra corrected.

 

“Details. He’ll warm up to you, I’m sure.”

 

Solas shifted in his saddle and looked to the large feline. “He seems to be feeling better.”

 

“Yes. He even went out and caught a nug this morning to eat.” Aravae cracked a smile, her eyes lighting up.

 

“Can you train him to fight?” Blackwall suddenly sounded like an excited child. “Maybe he can be a big help in the Exalted Plains. There’s sure to be a lot of terrible things going on with the civil war.”

 

Aravae stared at him, unimpressed. “Firstly, he doesn’t know friend from foe yet...”

 

“It’s simple enough. Someone’s trying to harm  _ you _ , they’re going to be a foe to him.”

 

“I...doubt it’s that ‘simple’.”

 

Cassandra made a frustrated sound. “We have a long day ahead of us. Let’s just keep moving.”

 

“Lurking, creeping, silent through the shadows,  _ Shadow _ … I like it.” Cole turned to Aravae with a gentle expression. “I think he likes it too.”

 

“Thank you, Cole.”

 

The rest of the day was spent in travel, though they stopped to take breaks. By Cassandra’s estimations, they wouldn’t reach the Inquisition camp in the plains until the late afternoon of the next day. The others tried not to let that news dampen their spirits. They were going to spend a long time away from Skyhold, after all. It would be some time before they had modern comforts again. While they rested, Aravae would rub Banal’ras, Ghilana occasionally butting her head into Aravae’s shoulder with jealousy, while the others watched from a distance. Unsurprising to Aravae, Solas was the first to try coming closer to the panther. Each time they stopped, he would work his way closer and closer while Banal’ras kept a close eye on him. When it came time for Solas to be close enough to raise a hand to try and pet him, the panther stood up and slipped out of reach. Aravae giggled quietly at Solas’ mildly disappointed, though unvexed, expression.

 

They pitched their camp for the night, Banal’ras lurking off into the shadows to hunt. Aravae hoped for one panicked moment that he understood that the mounts were not dinner. While he was gone, she sat around the small campfire with the others, listening to the stories and advice the others shared. 

 

“Do you have any advice for fighting demons, Solas?” Blackwall asked, poking at the fire.

 

“Survive the first thirty heartbeats and you’ll have already won,” Solas replied sagely.

 

“So I should try not to die? Helpful,” the warrior grunted.

 

Solas sighed softly and paused. “I mean that demons are rarely intelligent enough to change their tactics. If you focus on defending yourself, you will see the full range of their abilities within the first thirty heartbeats. By then, you should be able to find a weakness and exploit it.”

 

Blackwall nodded in understanding. “Ah, that  _ is _ helpful! I will try to remember that.”

 

Solas couldn’t hold back the smirk as he added, “Also, try not to die.”

 

Blackwall gave him an unimpressed look while Aravae and Cassandra snorted. “Your wit comes out at the most random times, Solas,” the Seeker observed.

 

“It’s a gift.”

 

“Is  _ that _ what it is?” Aravae scoffed, though she was grinning.

 

“The shadows slink back, closer and closer, darkness approaching…”

 

Cassandra jumped slightly. “Maker. The beast is back. Cole, don’t  _ do _ that.”

 

Aravae glanced behind her and saw only the gleaming eyes of Banal’ras as he hovered a short distance away. She held out her hand to him. “Come on, da’falon. They’re friends. You don’t have to be scared of them.”

 

He gave a long look to them all and only took a few steps closer before laying down and curling up. Aravae shrugged and shifted back to face the fire. Blackwall gestured towards him with the stick he was using to tend to the fire. “What’s that? What you call him?”

 

“Da’falon? Little friend.”

 

“What’s little about him? He’s a damn overgrown cat.”

 

Aravae shook her head at the Grey Warden. “He isn’t done growing yet. Perhaps another few months and he will be.”

 

“How do you pronounce his name?” Cassandra inquired.

 

She spoke slowly, enunciating the syllables. “Banal’ras. It means shadow.”

 

Cassandra attempted at speaking it. Aravae praised her on the fact that she had it mostly right. Blackwall mumbled, “I’ll just call him Shadow.”

 

Solas tsked at him. “Come now, Blackwall. Don’t you want to culture yourself a little?”

 

“Your elven words are too tricky for me.”

 

“I’ll help you.” Solas repeated it again for him.

 

Blackwall glared at the apostate. “You’re just in rare form tonight, aren’t you?”

 

They rose the next morning and began riding again, Banal’ras keeping a little closer to the group this time. They passed by two separate red Templar patrols, taking care of both of them without much trouble. Much to Blackwall’s disappointment, Banal’ras did not jump in and start tearing the armored men to shreds. Still, the panther did hover out of range, observing cautiously. 

 

Having to stop and fight did set them back a little more than they would have preferred. It was nearing dusk when they approached the Inquisition camp, plumes of smoke rising in several locations in the distance. Cassandra checked in with the scouts while the others unsaddled their mounts and handed them over to the soldiers that were stationed there, who led them to food and water. Banal’ras refused to go past the first of the tents and into the main part of camp, which was probably for the better. It didn’t slip by Aravae that the soldiers who saw him case nervous looks at each other. She remained with him, not wanting him to be attacked by anyone, while Solas fetched some food for her. Naturally, as soon as he returned with her plate, Banal’ras went off, mostly likely to hunt. She shook her head and walked with Solas as they found a spot to sit at in camp.

 

Since it was late, they agreed to get their start in the morning. Cassandra waved the parchments she’d received from the scouts and said that she would have a plan for them on how to proceed tomorrow. With that, she turned in for the night. The others weren’t far behind her, weariness from the few days of riding settling in. Aravae took her bedroll and spread it outside by Banal’ras. Once she was as comfortable as she could be, her hair free from its braid, she smiled as she felt Banal’ras lay down nearly right next to her.

 

* * *

 

_ When Aravae entered the Fade, Solas was already there waiting for her. However, so was someone else. It took Aravae a moment to realize who it was. It was one of his dearest friends, a spirit of wisdom. Wisdom fondly took the shape of a young elvhen woman with short, dark hair, standing a few inches shorter than the both of them. When she spoke, her voice was anything but youthful sounding. It was difficult for Aravae to describe in any other way than just ‘wise’. _

 

_ She slowly approached the two, their conversation in elvhen fading. She held her hands behind her back. “Ir abelas. I can leave you two alone if you’d like to talk.” _

 

_ “It is fine,” Wisdom assured her with a warm smile. “Hello, Aravae. It has been quite some time since we’ve seen each other.” _

 

_ “Yes, it has. You look well.” _

 

_ “I am, thank you.” Wisdom looked back to Solas. “Just take some time to consider what we’ve talked about.” _

 

_ “I will,” he assured her. “Thank you as always, my friend.” _

 

_ “Of course.” Wisdom took a step back, observing the two. “I must just say that it is about time.” When the two frowned with confusion, she sighed. “That you two admitted your feelings.” She went back up to Aravae and took her hands into her own. “I’m proud that you finally had the strength to accept that your beloved wouldn’t want you to stay trapped in the darkness forever. You know that he will always be with you, but you can’t let him hold you back, either.” _

 

_ “Ma serannas,” Aravae said genuinely, giving the spirit’s hands a squeeze. _

 

_ She beamed and released the mage. “Solas has pined after you for quite some time, you know?” He began to say something rather insistently, but she carried on, speaking over him. “He came to me so often all those years ago, asking for guidance. He had no idea what to do. He was so flustered all the time. It was really quite sad.” She shot him a teasing grin. “He was such a lovesick puppy. Excuse me, wolf.” _

 

_ Aravae laughed musically at the flush that crossed Solas’ face as he denied everything Wisdom had said. It was a rare sight to see. Wisdom giggled as well, clapping her hands together a few times. “Don’t be ashamed, Solas! Look at you now. You finally have the woman of your dreams.” _

 

_ If anything, that only intensified the redness in his cheeks and up to his ears. Aravae tried to contain her laugh. He seemed so ruffled and she was trying not to make it worse for him, but she couldn’t help herself. It was something rather cute about him that she hadn’t seen before. _

 

_ “Before I go, Aravae, will you sing with me?” Wisdom swayed back and forth, the scenery shifting around them until they were standing in a familiar hall of gold with tall pillars, elaborate tapestries, and a large dance floor. “I always enjoyed listening to you sing.” _

 

_ Aravae quirked an eyebrow. “When did you hear me sing more than once?” _

 

_ “I’ve watched you for some time,” she reminded her. “You remember all the songs you sang to your little one when you dream. Those are ones that make you a little happier, rather than sad. Forgive me. You pick the song. I’m sure I’ll know it.” _

 

_ Aravae paused, not sure what the think about Wisdom lurking in the corners of her dreams. She at least knew the spirit meant no harm. She delved into her mind, trying to think of a song, though she suddenly felt self-conscious. It was her first time singing in front of Solas. Knowingly, at least. Had he spied on her dreams, too? _

 

_ She decided on one that she hadn’t heard since the fall of Arlathan. At one of the last gatherings they had, one of the women in service to Andruil had sang a moving song, one that was joyful. That song had stuck with her when she heard the elf’s voice, carrying a beautiful melody despite the hardships that the elvhen people were going through at that point in time. Aravae briefly wondered whatever became of her. _

 

_ As she sang the words, a little softly at first, Wisdom nodded and closer her eyes, joining her voice to Aravae’s. The spirit’s voice sounded much more mature, practiced, and balanced than Aravae thought hers did. But when she glanced towards Solas with a hint of shyness, she was moved by the intensity with which he was staring at her. Aravae felt her own cheeks warm, so she turned away to look at Wisdom so that she could focus. _

 

_ They held out the last of the notes and glanced down towards the dancefloor together. Many wisps and spirits had come and were floating about in circular gliding motions, as if dancing together. Wisdom looked particularly pleased. “Thank you, Aravae. It was an enjoyable moment of peace in this ever changing world.” _

 

_ “I agree.” _

 

_ “Well, now… I will leave you two alone. Until next time, my friends.” Wisdom gave them one more smile and headed across the room, gazing at the wisps. _

 

_ Aravae leaned against the rail, looking at the spirits that had taken forms of elvhen men and women, dressed in elaborate gold and white clothing, swirling drinks in their glasses, chatting away with one another, making no hurried moves. “...That may be what I miss most of all,” Aravae admitted softly to Solas as he came to stand beside her, a hand on her lower back. “When we could just...take our time. We weren’t having to rush off everywhere. The world didn’t seem to move. I would have loved spending an eternity watching my little girl grow up.” _

 

_ “I’m sure she would have been a beautiful, strong woman, much like her mother.” _

 

_ She smiled sadly, recalling the nightmare she’d had some time ago where she’d seen Estelar as a young woman. She’d been so lovely. Aravae missed the sound of her voice dearly. Suddenly, the sounds of music reached her ears. Solas stepped back and bowed to her, offering a hand. “Would you do me the honor of a dance?” _

 

_ Without hesitation, Aravae slid her hand into his. He didn’t lead her down to the lower floor, but just away from the railing. He held her hand up while he took his other and rested it on her waist while hers went to his shoulder. They waited for the right moment in the music, then began to sway slowly. Solas’s eyes seemed to bore into her own, captivating her so strongly that she couldn’t look anywhere else. She didn’t mind, though. _

 

_ When had she begun to care for him in such a way, she wondered. She’d always cared for him deeply as a friend, a savior, and as someone who gave her hope and a purpose to keep to living. Then when she’d awoken from uthernera, he was familiarity in a strange land. She wanted nothing more than to cling to him and ignore the rest of the world, but she couldn’t do that. She was already too involved in it all at that point.  _

 

_ Perhaps it was because they had to start over for the sake of appearances? Though she knew more about him than anyone else alive, she had to act as though they’d never met before. Getting to know him as a true equal and not divided by social statuses was quite a different experience than she’d had before. _

 

_ Her mind could have kept spiraling, looking for reasoning and rational, but she just wanted to stop thinking for the moment. She tried to empty her head and just listen to the music, feel his touch on her, and look into his eyes. When he smiled gently and leaned towards her, she met him halfway, sharing a lingering kiss. _

 

_ They broke apart at an alarming speed when they felt a rumbling in the ground and heard a terrified scream. Aravae’s blood ran cold. All the wisps and spirits vanished and the room went dark. Solas released his hold on Aravae and looked around, panicked. “Wisdom?!” he called, worry in his voice. _

 

_ Only silence answered them. Solas growled and closed his eyes in concentration. Aravae went up beside him and rested a hand on his arm. He shifted the Fade and they were suddenly standing in a location that looked much like the Exalted Plains, near a river. The two shared a glance, a mixture of concern and rage. _

 

* * *

 

Aravae jerked awake in a cold sweat, Banal’ras rumbling in displeasure beside her. It was just barely starting to grow light outside. She jumped up out of her bedroll at the same time Solas rushed from his tent. His expression fierce, he snapped, “We need to hurry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, everyone! Glad to see you again! Thank you for all the kudos and comments. This last week made me tear up with joy at all of your kindness. ;_; (Psst, we're only 12 away from 100 kudos :D)
> 
> Oh, yes, I wanted to mention: the moment where Aravae thinks of one of Andruil's slaves? That was a minor shout out to my good friend, TheLadyDreadWolf and her story she's starting with her Lavellan in Arlathan times. You can check it out here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483859/chapters/25756089
> 
> Stop by and give her as much love as you all give me! <3
> 
> With that said: HERE IT COMES. THE BALL IS FINALLY ROLLING. I was planning on things to begin diverting a little bit later (I had it all planned out on several sheets of paper), but that's gone out the window. We're diverting away a bit from the game NOW. HERE. HERE AND NOW. I'm kind of excited and thrilled, because now I have to plot more and figure out exactly how things are going to progress. *squeals* I hope you're all as excited as me!
> 
> I'll see you all next week!


	23. Chapter 23

Aravae and Solas quickly strapped their saddles onto their mounts. Scout Harding rushed up to them and demanded, “What is it? Is something wrong?”

 

“I’m sorry, there’s no time to explain,” Aravae replied hurriedly. “We’ll be back later today - we’ll be in the plains somewhere.”

 

Harding frowned, clearly not happy about the vague answer, but stepped back out of the way as the two elves jumped up in their saddles and tapped their harts’ sides, pushing them into a full gait. Banal’ras chased after them, making sure to stay on the side instead of behind them. 

 

Aravae held tight to Ghilana’s reins, staying as steady in the saddle as she could. She watched Solas’ back as they rode hard. She didn’t need to see his face to see how worried he was. Clearly something had gone wrong with Wisdom. It may have possibly been a summoning, which would only lead to trouble. She grit her teeth. It would be one of the most peaceful spirits  _ and _ one that they knew personally that would have a horrible fate befall her. She was thankful that it seemed Solas had a better feeling on Wisdom’s location than she did. Maybe if they hurried, they would have enough time to save her before things got out of hand.

 

Up ahead, she saw a stray group of demons near the path. She started to reach for her staff when she heard Solas shout sternly, “There’s no time! Just cast a barrier so the harts and Banal’ras don’t get hurt!”

 

She didn’t question him. With a wave of her hand, she wrapped herself, Ghilana, and Banal’ras in a barrier. She veered Ghilana slightly off the path, trying to keep out of the demons’ path so that they didn’t have to slow down. A rage demon bellowed at them, flinging fireballs from its hands as they rode by. Aravae kept watch on them and jerked the reins, carefully guiding Ghilana out of harm’s way. Once they were out of range, she sighed softly and focused on the path ahead of them.

 

The dawn bathed the sky in beautiful colors, mainly a light red with streaks of pink and purple, the colors reflecting off of the clouds that were moving in. Any other morning and it would have been perfect to sit in camp and gaze at it, aweing at the colors until it faded away. It didn’t seem fair that the sky hadn’t gotten the memo about their close friend being in grave danger.

 

Solas suddenly tugged at his hart’s reins, slowing down to look at something on the side of the path - a body. He spoke through a clenched jaw. “A mage, killed by an arrow. But…” He moved just up ahead, where a few more bodies lay. “These aren’t mages. The bodies are burned and...these claw marks…” His voice grew cold and worried. “No… No, no, no…”

 

“Solas,” Aravae snapped. “Let’s hurry.”

 

He nodded briskly and they moved on. Not far away, Aravae could hear the sounds of a fight and the bellow of a monster. An icy feeling gripped her heart. When she saw large lightning bolts shooting up into the air, she shook her head slowly, not wanting to believe the thoughts running through her mind. As they came into view, she heard Solas’ gasp of horror. “No. Wisdom.”

 

She was no longer her kind, small self. She had been corrupted by the summoning and had transformed into a pride demon. Aravae gaped slightly, finding it hard to comprehend. Wisdom had collapsed to her knees, looking like she was trying to catch a second wind. Aravae and Solas hopped off their panting harts and patted them, sending them out of harm’s way. Banal’ras stood beside Aravae, his fur starting to raise along his spine. Solas growled dangerously, anger flashing across his face.

 

“What do we do?” Aravae breathed quietly.

 

Solas looked as though he was about to start moving, but a man was approaching them, dragging his feet, exhaustion on his face. When he came close enough, he spoke with a shaky voice and some hesitation. “Mages! You’re not with the bandits?” He took a step closer. “Do you have any lyrium potions? Most of us are exhausted. We’ve been fighting that demon…”

 

Solas snarled, “You  _ summoned _ that demon! Except it was a spirit of wisdom at the time! You made it  _ kill _ ! You twisted it against its purpose!”

 

The man stepped back from Solas’ ferocity. He stuttered, “I-I-I understand how it might be confusing to someone who has not studied demons, but after you help us, I can-”

 

Solas tightened his gloves on his hand and took hold of his staff. “We are not here to help  _ you _ ,” he hissed loathingly.

 

Aravae paused from his tone. It was not one she had heard in quite some time. He sounded like his old self. She knew he had every intention of killing this man. Still, she needed him to wait. Maybe if they found out how they summoned Wisdom, they could figure out a way to reverse it and save her somehow. Maybe they could undo her corruption. She stepped in front of Solas, her eyes narrowed at the man. “I suggest backing off and  _ not _ trying to give  _ us _ any ‘advice’ on how demons work,  _ shemlen _ .”

 

“Listen to me!” he insisted, gesturing with his hands. “I was one of the foremost experts in the Kirkwall Circle-”

 

Solas set a rather gentle hand on Aravae’s shoulder, pushing her aside. “Shut. Up. You summoned it to protect you against the bandits.” It was a statement, not a question.

 

“I-... Yes.” His shoulders sagged and his head hung.

 

“You bound it to obedience. You commanded it to kill.” With each sentence, he inched closer. “ _ That _ is when it turned.” He shook his head with disgust and spun around to Aravae. 

 

She could tell he was too emotionally involved. He was blinded by his rage and he couldn’t think clearly. He silently begged her for help. She glanced over towards Wisdom/Pride, who was beginning to rise. “The summoning circle,” she suggested quickly. “If we break it, we can break the binding. No orders to kill, no conflict with her nature, no more demon.”

 

“What?!” The man took a step back. “The binding is the only thing keeping the demon from killing us! Whatever it was before, it’s a monster now!”

 

An angry roar erupted from behind them. Before Solas could get a hand on the shemlen human, he cried out and fled for cover. Solas turned his ired, stormy blue eyes to Aravae. “We must hurry!”

 

Aravae cast a quick look to Banal’ras, who had kept his distance from the human mage. She pleaded for him to stay where he was so he wouldn’t get hurt and she and Solas charged in towards Wisdom/Pride. They split, heading different directions around the circle. As Aravae cast her spells towards the stone pillars, she could hear Solas shouting, “Wisdom! It is me! Fight this! Don’t you recognize me?!”

 

The desperation in his voice made Aravae’s heart hurt. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever heard him like this before. Though it seemed that the words didn’t reach her, Wisdom/Pride was distracted by him and turned her attention to him, firing off attack after attack. Solas kept his barrier strong, able to unleash more of his true power without the others around to watch. Aravae knew the humans watching from a distance would not be a problem. They wouldn’t be around much longer to be able to say anything. She focused on destroying the pillars with all the strength she could muster.

 

She successfully knocked down three pillars when she heard Solas grunt with effort. Her eyes darted over to him. Wisdom/Pride had swung her arm and had slammed him back into the rocks nearby. He fell to his knees in pain, trying to pick himself back up. Wisdom/Pride took heavy steps towards him.

 

Aravae yelled and fire a powerful bolt of electricity at her, drawing her attention away from Solas. She saw the worried look in his eyes, but she ignored it, focusing on Wisdom/Pride now and her advances. She bent at her knees, ready to dodge when the inevitable attack came. Wisdom/Pride raised her arms and brought them down with a thundering crash, lightning in the form of whips charging towards her. She pulled her barrier up as fast as she could while jumping backwards, barely making it out of the reach of the main line of the whips, a few stray sparks smashing into her barrier. She hoped while she had changed Wisdom/Pride’s attention, Solas was now taking care of more pillars on his side. The quicker they took care of this, the sooner they could hopefully save their friend.

 

Aravae circled back towards the pillars she’d already destroyed, trying to lure her away so that she could give Solas more clearance to work with. She dove out of the way of the lightning orb Wisdom/Pride shot in her direction, remaining only on the defensive. She didn’t want to hurt the spirit- demon. “Wisdom!” she called out. “I know you don’t want to do this! Please, falon, try to remember. You’re kind, gentle, peaceful… This is last thing you would ever do.”

 

An evil cackle rumbled in the demon’s throat. She took a quick step towards Aravae and started to raise an arm for an attack. Aravae grunted with disappointment and prepared her staff when a black blur charged at Wisdom/Pride’s arm. Her forest green eyes widened. “Banal’ras!”

 

The panther had charged up and sunk his teeth down in the demon’s arm, digging in and holding on with his claws. The demon growled and shook her arm, trying to get the beast off. Banal’ras held on for a few more seconds before releasing his grip and leaping off to safety, landing close to Aravae. He circled around behind her, then went up to her side, crouched and ready to strike again. Aravae knew she couldn’t just tell him to stop. What was it she had said to Blackwall?  _ “He’s a wild animal still. He’ll do as he pleases.” _

 

With the black beast at her side, Aravae readied herself. However, just as Wisdom/Pride started to move, calling forth more lightning, she jerked to a halt and raised her head with a pained cry. Black smoke enveloped her and when it faded, she was in her normal form, collapsed to her knees on the ground. Even still, she didn’t look right. She wasn’t a gentle, glowing green. Her eyes were, but the rest of her form, in the shape of the young elvhen woman she preferred, was still black, smoke rising from her body like steam. Aravae glanced past her towards Solas, who walked with a slight limp. He had managed to destroy the remaining pillars, but...they had been too late.

 

He knelt before her, anguish contorting his face.  _ “Wisdom… I’m sorry,”  _ he whispered in the tongue of the elves.

 

_ “I’m not,” _ she replied weakly.  _ “I am happy. I’m me again.”  _ She paused and her head dipped forward.  _ “You both helped me… Now you must endure. Solas...guide me into death.” _

 

Aravae exhaled shakily, feeling a knot forming in her throat. She couldn’t even imagine how Solas was feeling. He shut his eyes and tilted his head away, clearly pained by her words. He opened them again and looked to her with a sorrowful smile.  _ “As you say.” _

 

He held his hands up and swathed them in a soothing magic. Wisdom smiled and sighed softly.  _ “Thank you… Live long lives  _ **_together_ ** _ , my dear friends.” _

 

The spirit closed her eyes and drifted away, blown like ashes by a breeze. Solas murmured, “Dareth shiral.”

 

There was now a eerily, uncomfortable silence in the air, save for the trickling of the river several feet away. Aravae drew a breath, not realizing she’d been holding it. “Solas, I’m… I’m so sorry,” she offered weakly. “I know there’s nothing I can say to help, but…”

 

He stood and shook his head, giving her a ghost of a smile. “You helped, Aravae. I cannot thank you enough. I could not have done this on my own. I am grateful for you.”

 

She tried to smile back, but failed. She leaned forward into his shoulder and muttered, “I just wish we’d gotten here sooner. She didn’t deserve this.”

 

“I know, vhenan.” He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a light squeeze. When Banal’ras began growling in warning behind them, they separated and Solas’ face instantly hardened again. “All that remains now is  _ them _ ,” he snarled quietly.

 

The group of mages froze in their approach, clearly scared of the panther that was flashing his teeth at them. The man they’d spoken to earlier said, “Thank you. We would not have risked a summoning, but the roads are too dangerous to travel unprotected.”

 

Solas once again shifted Aravae gently out of his path and took long, threatening strides towards them, walking past Banal’ras, who fell silent and watched intently. “ _ You _ ,” Solas spat, “tortured and killed my friend.” His quieter tone was more terrifying than if he were shouting at them.

 

The mages backed up, their eyes wide. The man explained quickly, “We didn’t know it was just a spirit. The  _ book _ said it could help us!”

 

Solas gave an aggressive wave of his hands, Aravae watching every moment. She felt a shudder run through her body as she felt the raw power Solas possessed come forth and explode before him. There wasn’t even a single scream as the bodies of the mages fell dead to the ground, which had caught fire. Solas stood straight, his shoulders back, and his hands curled up into fight fists. “Damn them all,” he growled.

 

Aravae was about to walk up to him, but she saw Banal’ras shifted quickly, his head looking off to the left. She glanced in the same direction, curious as to what he was looking at. Her breath hitched in her throat.

 

Ena sat there, atop a horse, looking towards them, gaping. Just behind her was Cole, his expression as neutral as always. Aravae remained frozen. What was she supposed to do? Ena urged the horse down towards them and only then did Aravae find words. “What...are you doing here?” she asked.

 

The closer she got, the more tired Aravae could tell she was. Her golden gaze passed back and forth between her, Solas, and the bodies that were burning in a flame. Solas had not yet turned to face them. His body was tense. “I… We rode through the night to catch up with you,” Ena explained hesitantly. “I got to camp and Harding told me that the two of you had ridden off first thing this morning and hadn’t been heard from yet. I got a fresh mount and came after you. I am a hunter, after all. I told the others to stay since they were tired, but Cole insisted.” 

 

Cole tilted his head, frowning lightly. “Rage not quelled, slipping down the slope, anger, loathing, hatred, burn them all, loss of wisdom forever-... Wisdom. Wisdom floating away in the breeze like a plume of smoke-”

 

“Cole,” Solas snapped sharply. He had never taken such a tone with the gentle spirit boy.

 

Ena dismounted, shaking her head as her feet touched the ground. “What is this? Wisdom? What is he talking about?”

 

Aravae looked to Solas, who remained where he was, still as a statue. She replied slowly, “Solas woke me this morning. He had a vision of one of his friends, a spirit of wisdom, being pulled forcibly out of the Fade by a summoning. It was nearby, so we came to investigate.”

 

Ena looked both frustrated and concerned. “Why didn’t you wake the others?”

 

“He...didn’t feel that the others would understand. You know how the others don’t respond too well to spirit and demon matters.” Aravae’s eyes went to the ground. “Either way, we were too late. Wisdom had been corrupted into Pride and we tried to save it, but...we couldn’t.”

 

Ena nodded slowly, drinking this in. “I’m...sorry to hear that. But...what of that power?” She gestured towards Solas. “I’ve never seen that kind of raw power before. What…?” She trailed off, unable to finish forming her question.

 

Aravae didn’t know how to respond. She couldn’t. Ena had been with them through countless battles and any excuse Aravae could think of, it wouldn’t be enough. Pure adrenaline couldn’t have done that. A lyrium potion still wouldn’t have been enough of a boost. She was starting to find herself quickly backed into a corner and with Solas in the frame of mind he was, he wasn’t going to step in and be helpful.

 

As if seeing that she was trying to figure a way out of this, Ena pleaded, “Aravae, I can tell something is going on.  _ Please _ . Just tell me. Let me help you.”

 

“Unraveling, unwound, breaking, shattering,  _ scared _ .” Cole looked to Aravae, a gentle, encouraging smile on his lips. “I know why you’re scared. But tell her. It’s okay. It’ll get rid of the last of the hurt you carry around.”

 

Aravae inhaled sharply. “I-”

 

A loud whistle cut Aravae off. She looked to Solas and her pulse began racing. He had called his hart to him. He jumped up into the saddle and began to race off. Aravae made a frustrated sound. She couldn’t let him get away. He wasn’t in his normal frame of mind. He’d just lost one of his closest friends. If he left now and didn’t come back, Aravae didn’t know what she would do. Thankfully, Ghilana had also come running up to her side. She looked quickly to Ena and took her hands. “Lethallan, if you have any trust left in me, please trust me now. I need to go after him, but I will return with him. We will find you. When we return, I promise, I will explain as much as I can.”

 

The worry didn’t cease in Ena’s eyes, but she could see the honest intentions Aravae spoke with. Though she didn’t look happy about it, she nodded. “Ma nuvenin. Please come back as soon as you can, lethallan.”

 

Aravae climbed into her saddle and clicked her tongue, directing Ghilana after Solas. Banal’ras padded after her, breaking into a sprint as Ghilana picked up speed. Out in the distance, Aravae could hear the rumble of thunder. The sky was beginning to grow darker, the rising sun now blocked out by the angry looking clouds. She could still see him in the distance, riding hard. She didn’t think about anything other than catching up to him and not letting him out of her sight.

 

He pushed his hart for quite some time, darting into the trees. Aravae leaned quickly as Ghilana turned, shifting to move out of the way of the trees. However, it was so thick that she lost sight of Solas a couple of times, but she knew he was close because she could feel the aura of his magic. When she noticed that Ghilana was beginning to fight for breath, it started to rain. Gritting her teeth, she thought,  _ Fenedhis, Solas, how far are you going? _

 

The further they went, the heavier the rain became and the slower Ghilana moved. It finally seemed that Solas’ aura was no longer getting further away, but that it had stopped moving altogether. Had he finally worn out his poor hart? Even Banal’ras was panting heavily, seemingly happy for the rain that was running down his sleek coat. Aravae tugged Ghilana to a stop and hopped out of the saddle. She patted the hart and rubbed her forehead, murmuring a soft thanks and apology to her. Aravae started to walk, tucking her damp hair behind an ear so that it would be out of her eyes.

 

She followed the trace of Solas’ magic to a rather large cave. His hart was standing in the entrance, breathing heavily. Solas was not in the saddle. Aravae gestured for Ghilana and Banal’ras to stay under the cover from the rain, but to not follow her deeper into the cave. Ghilana seemed all too happy to do as Aravae asked, but Banal’ras remained close to her. She shook her head at him and summoned a flame in her left hand so that she could better see.

 

The cave was surprisingly large compared to what the entrance looked like. The walls grew taller and wider and it seemed that it wouldn’t end. A chill creeped down Aravae’s spine as the air around her cooled off. It became so chilly that she could soon see her breath. She knew it wasn’t a natural cold. It was Solas.

 

She rounded a corner and saw that it came to a dead end. Solas was standing there, his back to Aravae, a fist against the cave wall. If it weren’t for Aravae’s flame, the entire cavern would be pitch black. She glanced down to Banal’ras, who looked up at her. This time, when she stepped forward, he remained where he was. Aravae could see the shaking of Solas’ shoulders just before he raised his arm back up and beat his hand against the rocky wall again. Aravae’s heart hurt seeing him like this. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him this way, not even after Mythal had been killed. He had always been strong, burying his anger and sorrow deep down inside himself, never letting it surface around anyone. When Aravae had fallen into her pit of despair, he may not have been able to be there for her much personally, since they hadn’t known each other then, but he still gave her a purpose, a reason to continue living. He’d always been a rock for her, whether he’d known it or not.

 

The least she could do was be there for him now. She stopped just within touching distance of him. “...Solas?” Her words reverberated closely off the walls.

 

Solas spun around quickly and grabbed Aravae, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly. She had been so stunned that her flame went out. Instead of the cave being filled with darkness, there were gentle glows coming from the stones themselves. She could see just enough to see her hand a few feet away from her face. When Solas buried his head into her shoulder, she held him in return, her hands rubbing small circles on his back. He held her with such desperation that it became hard for Aravae to draw breath, but she didn’t say a word in complaint. She could feel his trembles and hear his shaky breath.

 

“It is okay to let yourself cry, Solas,” Aravae said softly. “Let yourself mourn her. Don’t hold this back and bottle it up.”

 

Solas’ weight on her increased, making her knees buckle slightly. She helped ease their descent to the ground, all the while, neither one letting go of the other. Solas’ uneasy breathing turned into soft, choking sobs, clutching Aravae as tightly as he could. She felt her gut twist, a few hot tears springing to her eyes. She took a deep breath and blinked them away before letting her eyes slide shut. She couldn’t cry. Not yet. She needed to be as strong for him as he had been for her. She cradled the back of his head with one hand and continued to rub his back slowly with the other. There they remained in the gentle glow of the cave until Solas had no more tears to shed for his lost friend.

 

When he fell silent and still, his weight sagging on her shoulder, Aravae gently lowered him to the ground, rolling him on his back. He’d fallen asleep. She gazed at him sadly, caressing her fingers along his jawline. She pressed a gentle kiss to his scar on his brow and stood. She looked at Banal’ras as she made her way by, whispering, “Watch over him, da’falon. I’ll be right back.”

 

Though she’d fully expect him not to listen, he padded silently down the cavern towards Solas. She made her way back to the entrance, where the harts were waiting patiently. Aravae dug around in their saddlebags, looking to see if they’d brought anything with them that she could use. Unfortunately, both of their bedrolls were back at camp, but she at least had their cloaks. She brought those back and rolled one up for Solas, propping it under his head so that he’d be more comfortable. She draped the other one over him, not needing it as the chill caused by his magic faded away with his sleep.

 

Banal’ras looked to Aravae, as if ensuring she was okay, then left the two alone. She figured he was most likely going hunting since they’d gotten an early start to the day. She wondered how far in the afternoon it was now. Knowing was of no real consequence, she decided.

 

She leaned against the cave wall and gazed at Solas’ sleeping face tenderly, hoping he could find some solace in the Fade. If not, she would be right there when he awoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! You're getting the next chapter several days early! Thank your sweet talking friends on Tumblr, hehe. Not much may have happened, but hey, you get sweetness with a cherry on top instead! Besides, we can't go rushing into this whole 'derail the events of DA:I' thing too quickly.
> 
> Thank you all as always for all the lovely comments and - OH THE KUDOS! We hit 100+!! I can't thank you all enough. Really, I can't. I would like to do something for all of you. A certain scene? Smut? Just let me know and I will be more than happy to do so!
> 
> I'll see you all soon! :)


	24. Chapter 24

Hey, guys! So I was flipping through the chapters and realized that there is remaining artwork I have forgotten to share of [Ena!](https://solverne.tumblr.com/image/159799757360) This one was also drawn by the magnificently talented Hansaera, whose blog you can find [here!](http://hansaera.tumblr.com/) I do have a few other pieces to share with you all, but I'll remember to add them into the coming chapters. :)

 

* * *

 

 

Solas’s eyes slowly opened as he regained consciousness much later that day, creeping up into the evening. He still felt exhausted from his emotional breakdown earlier and his stomach rumbled with hunger. He glanced around the dimly lit cave, not seeing Aravae anywhere. He sat up slowly, his body aching in protest from having fallen asleep on the rocky ground. He took hold of the cloak that had been draped over him and went to pick up the one that he’d had for a pillow when he jumped. He hadn’t seen the outline of Banal’ras, standing not too far away from him, silently watching. Solas shook his head at himself and draped the cloaks over his arm. As he started to move forward, Banal’ras padded along ahead of him, his footsteps making no sound.

 

Solas made his way back towards the entrance of the cave, where Aravae was standing, looking out into the forest, the harts grazing not too far away now that the rain had stopped. Banal’ras went up beside her, rubbing up against her leg like a domestic house cat would. She reached down and stroked the top of the panther cub’s head, turning her head slightly towards him so that Solas could see the smile on her lips. She must have heard his approaching footsteps, because she shifted to look at him, her genuine smile turning to sympathy. “How are you feeling?”

 

He started to answer automatically, but he stopped himself. He shouldn’t have to lie about his feelings to Aravae. He should be honest with her. “I am...coping,” he said at last. “I went to Wisdom’s normal area of the Fade. Plenty of other wisps and spirits came, too.”

 

She nodded understandingly. “I see. I’m sorry, Solas. I can’t say that enough. I know that Wisdom meant a great deal to you.”

 

He set the cloaks down where Aravae had left the harts’ saddles, shaking his head. “I am just glad that we were able to help her, in a sense. She would not have wanted to die, stuck as Pride. We were able to give her the peace of mind that she left this world as herself.”

 

“Yes… I suppose you’re right.”

 

Solas came to stand beside her on her free side and the two looked out into the darkening forest. “I apologize for running off like that. That was...poorly handled.”

 

“You don’t need to apologize for that. Just...we’re going to have to figure out what to do as far as Ena now. You know that, don’t you?”

 

“...Yes.”

 

Aravae crossed her arms in thought, her lips pursing. “At the least, we can’t hide the fact that you’re an elvhen anymore. That part alone will be difficult. She’ll put together herself fast enough that we already knew each other.”

 

“She is quite intuitive,” he agreed. “But she trusts you, at the least. She will understand why we hid it.”

 

“Not without knowing who you truly are.” Aravae held her hands up with an underlying hint of frustration. “One of the first things she will ask is why you’re so much more powerful, even if you are elvhen. She hasn’t seen the full extent of my own power at once, but I couldn’t even begin to mimic what you did out there with those shemlens.” She paused. “If we don’t get her more straight answers, you know the Nightingale will begin to dig.”

 

“She couldn’t find out much more now that she doesn’t already know.”

 

“She’s resourceful. She would find a way. If she was able to figure it out…” Aravae sighed. “I guess I’m just saying that I would rather Ena be told as close to the truth as we can get from  _ us _ , not anyone else.”

 

Solas studied her expression for a moment, observing the worry in her eyes. “I do not intend for the question to be insensitive, Aravae, but...why are you so concerned about disappointing Ena?”

 

She began to fiddle with her frizzy hair, shooting a light glare towards the ground. “She is a kind person who wants to help everyone that she can without asking for anything in return. She trusts in people not long after she meets them, not fully worrying about betrayal until it is staring her in the face. Even then, she will allow someone a second chance. After that, she can’t bring herself to trust them again. I feel as though I am on that second chance now, after I revealed to her  _ my _ identity.”

 

Solas’ brows furrowed. “You did not betray her.”

 

“But I did  _ lie _ to her. To me, it is more similar than I can to admit. She has been accepting of the information I’ve given her so far, about Arlathan, myself, the Evanuris, including Fen’harel. Still, I can tell that she questions me now from time to time. Just today, with the look on her face as she begged me for the truth…” Aravae took a deep breath, her glare turning sorrowful. “I can’t stand hurting the kind people like that. I cannot be kind like that - I’ve seen far too much of the darkness. I want to do what I can to protect the kind people, the ones who can bring a little more light.”

 

“Listen to yourself,” Solas said softly, shifting so that he could stand in front of her, cupping her cheeks delicately. “How can you say that you aren’t kind? You want to protect the people who you believe are kind? That in itself is a kindness. You want to shield their eyes from the true horrors of the world. You cannot stand by idly while you know others are suffering. That is just who you are.”

 

“It would just be much easier if I  _ didn’t  _ care,” she muttered, averting her gaze. She then forced out a humorless laugh. “Ir abelas. I should be the one comforting you, not the other way around.”

 

“You,” he kissed her forehead and leaned down, bringing his own forehead to rest against hers, “are the last person in this world that needs to apologize to me for anything.”

 

She let her eyes slide closed, enjoying the feeling of his warmth so close to her. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “What are we going to do, Solas?”

 

He kept his arms low around her waist, not moving away from their position. “To be honest, I am not ready to deal with all of that yet. One step at a time and right now...I would like to properly mourn for Wisdom. I may not be able to for as long as I would like, but...I owe her at least that.”

 

“I understand.” She opened her eyes and found herself gazing into the depths of his blue orbs. “I will be here for you, as long as you need.”

 

“Ma serannas, vhenan.” Solas pressed his lips against her, giving her a gentle kiss.

 

They remained in the area for a couple of more days. Solas spent the majority of his time in the Fade, wandering around where Wisdom used to linger. With a wistful expression, he told Aravae that he could feel the stirrings of energy, that something new would begin to form from Wisdom’s essence that had been returned to the Fade when she died. That was a small comfort.

 

When he wasn’t in the Fade, the two took walks in the forest, not speaking, just enjoying each other’s company. Their fingers were laced together and they walked slowly, as though they had all the time in the world again. Banal’ras went along with them when he wasn’t hunting. His side was beginning to look much better, thanks to a couple more healing sessions from Aravae. The panther allowed Solas to examine him once - only once, though. Still, it was progress. Banal’ras was starting to warm up to him.

 

Aravae was not going to rush Solas. If anything, while he was preoccupied, it gave her plenty of time to think of what to do when they returned to the Inquisition. She hoped Ena was okay, along with the rest of them. From what little she’d seen, it appeared that the Exalted Plains were just as desperate for aid as Crestwood had been. She’d seen the columns of smoke, smelled the disgusting stench of rotting bodies, spotted the demons running amuck… Part of her wanted to go back to help, but really, it was just her wanting to ensure that Ena was safe. She had the rest of the inner circle with her. Of course she was safe.

 

What had she told them? Or had Cole said anything? The spirit boy didn’t know any better. He just wanted to do what he thought was right in order to help everyone. Unfortunately, it usually ended up causing more conflict before resolving anything. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to be mad at him. As for Ena… She was too kind. She wouldn’t give anything up about Aravae’s identity over this. She’d kept the secret so far. She wasn’t going to stab Aravae in the back and reveal her now. Aravae imagined that her patience was probably starting to run thin now.

 

She couldn’t keep it hidden for much longer. To be honest, she would be glad to just get it out in the open for everyone. The guilt that had slowly been eating away at her would vanish. Sure, it may cause more problems, but she was just tired of hiding who she was. She wanted to be herself again, to hold her head up proudly.

 

Solas woke before her one morning, his arms wrapped around her, holding her close to his chest. He ran his fingers through her long wavy locks, stirring her slowly. She slowly opened her eyes, inhaling deeply as she roused. He smiled warmly and gave her a kiss. “Good morning, vhenan.”

 

“Good morning,” she croaked sleepily, trying to return his smile.

 

“I’ve come to a decision.”

 

Aravae rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at him with a silent question.

 

“About the Veil,” he explained. “I’ve decided to try what you proposed.”

 

Her eyes widened and her lips parted. “Are… Are you sure?”

 

“I’ve thought about this for quite some time. I would like to journey around to see if any of the temples still survive. If they do, there is a strong possibility that other elvhen also live, just in uthenera until someone disturbs the area.” He tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. “I feel like it warrants trying.”

 

The relief washed over Aravae and showed physically as her entire body seemed to lighten from a heavy load being removed. He wasn’t going to be impulsive after all, trying to rip down the Veil without knowing consequences. He was actually taking her suggestion! Her smile spread and she kissed him again. “Thank you. How should we start?”

 

“If I recall correctly, isn’t there a temple for Falon’din somewhere not far away in this forest?”

 

Aravae’s joy melted away at that. She should have figured that would be his suggestion. Of course, it made the most sense, but she was rather hoping he would have forgotten something like that and suggested they aim for a different location. When he noticed her change, he whispered, “Is it...where you-?”

 

“No, it isn’t. The temple I went into uthenera in was a different one. Still…” She shrugged lightly. “If one of them recognizes me, it may go south rather quickly.”

 

He tightened his hold on her protectively. “They will not harm you while I’m there. I may not be at full strength, but I am still powerful enough to ensure your safety.”

 

“I’m not worried about my safety,” she assured him quickly. “Just… They will see me as a traitor. They will likely not hear us out.”

 

“We cannot force them, but we must try.”

 

“...Yes. You’re right. Ir abelas.”

 

The two elvhen ate a small breakfast before saddling up their harts. They rode off slowly, in no particular hurry, Aravae leading the way, Banal’ras following along after them. 

 

It was a long day of riding through the forest and much had changed over the thousands and thousands of years. Aravae gazed at the invisible path before them, narrowing her eyes with thought. Though in her mind, it had not been that long since she’d been to the temples, the route seemed different, blocked by new fauna. Solas never questioned nor rushed her, remaining silently just behind her. She was thankful for the silence. She wasn’t sure there was anything that he could say that would help set her mind at ease. Back in Elvhenan times, when everything was simple, she was elated to be a favorite of Falon’din. Now in hindsight, she regretted it. Though she didn’t remember the names of all elvhen that had served at his different temples, they would remember her. She wasn’t looking forward to this.

 

When the sight of ruins entered her line of vision, she could feel the hum of the magic in the air, brushing along her skin and mixing with her own magical aura. She couldn’t help it - the old feeling of Falon’din’s protective magic made her relax some. It was something familiar, no matter how much of a regretful time it was for her. She glanced over her shoulder to look at Solas and he gave her an encouraging nod. She took a deep breath and faced forward, holding her head up and steeling her nerves.

 

There was no turning back now.

 

They dismounted and left the harts at a safe distance before making their way inside. They kept close and held their staffs in hand, Banal’ras keeping to Aravae’s side. The ruins from the outside were surprisingly intact, though a few sections had collapsed in on itself. The inside was just as impressive. There were lit braziers, casting light over well preserved tapestries that held the names of those that were brought to the temple for cleansing. In-between the tapestries were murals of Falon’din painted on the walls, standing guard over the dead. The floor was a golden stone and, though it still shone, was covered in a thin layer of dust. Every time the bottom of their staffs touched the floor, it left an echoing  _ clank  _ in the room. Walking through the entrance hall felt like a strange coming home to Aravae.

 

Until she felt the shift in magic, sentinels appearing before them, bows drawn and spears at the ready, hoods drawn over their faces. The panther growled in warning as Aravae and Solas came to a halt. With a swift glance, Aravae saw that they had completely surrounded them. She counted seven of them. Though her instincts screamed at her to prepare to defend herself, she remained calm, speaking in their native tongue,  _ “We come in peace, brothers and sisters.” _

 

_ “Is that so? That is why you come armed and even brought a beast,” _ a sharp woman’s voice hissed.

 

Aravae held her free hand out to help try and show they didn’t mean harm. She shushed Banal’ras, asking for him to calm down and hoping he would listen. He stopped his growling, though his stance didn’t relax. It was a small victory, she supposed. _ “We have only come to speak with you.” _ She frowned lightly.  _ “Is this all of you?” _

 

_ “I will give no information of our numbers to you, traitor.” _

 

One of the elvhen to Aravae’s left lowered her spear to throw the hood off of her head. Aravae took in her appearance, recognizing her. She had light brown hair held up in a high ponytail and fierce dark brown eyes. A small scar lay across the bridge of her nose and Falon’din’s red vallaslin marked her face. Aravae  _ did _ remember her as the head of the sentinels of the temple.  _ “...Raynia.” _

 

_ “Aravae.” _ She spoke with a warm, welcoming tone, though Aravae could sense the dripping venom lurking within it.  _ “You truly think I would listen to anything you had to say? Not only did you betray us, but you dare to bring Fen’harel himself here? At the least, have you no respect for the dead anymore?!” _

 

_ “We mean...no harm,” _ Aravae insisted through gritting teeth.  _ “We only want to talk to you.” _

 

Raynia slammed the end of her spear against the floor and shouted,  _ “Why should we listen?! We should just kill you and be done with it. We need to avenge Lord Falon’din!” _

 

Solas’ grip tightened on his staff as everyone in the room tensed.  _ “Calm yourselves, please. I do not wish to fight you.” _

 

_ “Do not speak, Dread Wolf,” _ another of the sentinels spat, taking a step closer with their drawn bow. He narrowed his eyes at them.

 

_ “Look, damn it.” _ Aravae released her staff, letting it clatter loudly to the floor.

 

Raynia sneered.  _ “Nice try, but I know that you don’t need a staff to do damage.” _

 

Aravae’s shoulders rose and fell with her deep breaths. Her nostrils flared as she stared down Raynia.  _ “Listen, Raynia. I don’t know how else I can say this so that you will listen. Hear me out. Then, if you don’t like what you hear, you may try and kill us if you wish. Fair enough?” _

 

Raynia hummed in thought, her gaze not faltering. Clearly, she was trying to decide if Aravae’s words held a trap of some sort. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.  _ “Very well. Speak.” _

 

* * *

 

Ena shuddered slightly and tightened her heavy cloak. She could see that they were getting closer and closer to more snowy territory once again. She couldn’t have minded spending a little more time in the Exalted Plains if it meant they had comfortable warmth for a little longer. She’d already delayed a day trying to wait for Aravae and Solas, but she knew there wasn’t enough time. She hadn’t heard from them yet and had seen no sign of them the entire time they were in the plains. She left word with scouts at each encampment that they were moving on to the Emprise du Lion and that they were to pass the word along should they come across either of the elves. 

 

It had been tricky coming up with an excuse once she returned to camp that day, especially when she wasn’t sure if Cole would be able to not say anything. She kept to the truth as much as she could, saying Solas saw something in the Fade to do with a spirit. Aravae woke as he was leaving and followed after him, but they had been too late. Clearly overcome with grief, Solas raced off and Aravae followed to ensure he would be okay. Though it worried the others, they didn’t ask too many questions, thankfully. They focused on their jobs they had to get done in the plains. Ena had been surprised to see another Dalish clan there. She’d never had personal dealings before with Keeper Hawen’s clan, but they were welcoming enough to them. They helped the clan out, which made Ena long for news about her own clan’s situation, and they helped the Orlesian troops with their problems against the undead. The entire area reeked of death and decay, so that part, Ena was keen on leaving behind.

 

Varric pondered aloud once they began their journey to leave if Aravae and Solas were really okay since they’d been gone longer than a week. Ena nodded positively, assuring him that she was certain they were fine. The two of them could take care of themselves. Still, she hoped they would return soon. She had so many questions she needed answered. Even when she had tried to ask Cole, since he could see inside people’s minds, he would either give crypt answers or metaphors or he would completely tell her that she needed to hear it from them. She understood that would make it better, but if she at least had context, it would make it easier on her.

 

When they arrived in the small village of Sahrnia, they were all too happy to gather around the fire and settle in for the night. Ena and Cassandra spoke with the Inquisition agents and went around the village to talk to the residents about their situations before finally retreating for the evening. As Ena wrapped her cloak tightly around her, she sat before one of the fires, sighing with happiness at its warmth. It wasn’t long before Bull came over and sat beside her.

 

“What’s going on, Boss?” he inquired, his question full of depth. She knew precisely what he meant by it.

 

“It’s...complicated, Bull,” she murmured. “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it.”

 

“I would normally say I understand, but it’s starting to really eat away at you,” the qunari rumbled. “In a few fights lately, you’ve made mistakes you wouldn’t normally make. You can’t let this affect you.”

 

“I know,” she snapped, with more anger than she intended. “...I’m sorry. I know. I can’t allow anything to happen to myself, the precious ‘Herald’ and the only way to close the rifts.”

 

“Hey.” Bull turned to her with a frown. “I’m saying this as a  _ friend _ . From one to another, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

 

The tenderness in his words caught her off guard. She looked at him and saw the genuine expression on his face and it brought a warm, apologetic smile to her face. “Thanks, Bull. I’m sorry. I’ll try not to let it bother me. I just worry about them.”

 

“Ah, don’t worry about it. While I’m sure Solas is upset, he has Aravae there to comfort him, if you know what I mean.” He chuckled with a lopsided grin.

 

Ena’s jaw dropped with utter confusion. “What are you insinuating, Bull?!”

 

He suddenly looked floored. “What, you didn’t- You didn’t know? It was so obvious, I thought they would’ve…”

 

She continued staring at him, blinking rapidly. “Not all of us are Ben-Hassrath trained.”

 

He cleared his throat, clearly feeling awkward now. “I, uh… Sorry. I thought for sure you knew. For several weeks now, I’ve seen the looks they’ve been passing. Their tones also change when they speak to each other. I figured they wanted to keep it quiet, but...I didn’t realize they were completely hiding it. Then, since it was the two of them that went off, I…” He coughed. “Sorry, Boss.”

 

Ena’s mind was whirling even faster now. In a way, it made sense to her, but why hadn’t Aravae trusted her enough to tell her? Then, it was as if all the pieces settled into place. Solas’s all too convenient arrival at the Breach, an elf with knowledge of that magic. How Aravae had acted awkwardly around him when they first met. Aravae had even admitted to her that she didn’t see the majority of life on Thedas as normal people because they didn’t have immortality. The sense that she had that she and Solas were similar somehow…

 

Solas had to be an ancient elvhen, too. It was the only thing that made sense to her. It made everything...simpler. Did they know each other? Had they been involved before? No, Aravae had her husband and a child. She may not have even known him. But… So what were they doing, off on their own-?

 

“Inquisitor?”

 

A voice broke her from her thoughts and she jumped slightly, looking towards the requisitions officer. She gave a small bow and offered up a rolled up parchment. “Word from Lady Nightingale for you, ma’am.”

 

Ena nodded briskly and took it, staring at it in her hands as the officer walked away. Bull stood and gave her a gentle pat on the back. “Uhh...sorry again, Boss. You know where to find me if you need to talk.”

 

She bobbed her head once more silently, unable to speak just yet. There was a knot in her throat that wouldn’t go away. She unwrapped the parchment and scanned the beginning of the rather short letter.  _ “E, _

 

_ “In regards to the situation at Wycome…” _

 

She stopped reading. It was news. News of her clan. Her heart drummed in her chest. She stood and made her way to the privacy of her tent. She lit a few candles and sat on her bedroll, reading over each word slowly.

 

_ “...things did not go as planned. I do not know what I can say in a simple letter that may offer you comfort other than that I am very sorry. We received the follow letter and I thought you may want to see it for yourself. _

 

_ -L” _

 

Ena stopped breathing, but didn’t pause. She all but tossed Leliana’s letter aside and went to the next page. She choked on a sob, recognizing the handwriting as Keeper Deshanna’s.

 

_ “Da’len, _

 

_ “I know not whether this will reach you. The Duke of Wycome in dead and the soldiers of Wycome blame us. All the elves in the city have been killed, blamed for some plague that only strikes down humans. Now they hunt us as well. _

 

_ “Most of the clan is already dead, including your grandmother. _

 

_ “Live well, da’len. You and Aravae carry Clan Lavellan with you. They are coming for us.” _

 

It felt certain that her heart stopped beating. She couldn’t get draw any air. Her hands trembled as she gazed at the last words in the letter. Deshanna hadn’t even had time to sign her name. All of the elves in Wycome...her entire clan...dead. At the hands of stupid, ignorant shems with a bloodthirst against anyone that didn’t have their rounded ears.

 

The parchment crumpled in her hands as they clenched with rage. Hot, angry tears spilled from her eyes, landing on the parchment and her lap. She finally managed to suck in a loud, gasping breath of air, her trembling spreading. She dropped the letter and brought her hands to her face, covering her eyes, gasping for breath. She hadn’t necessarily always gotten along with the clan, particularly her grandmother, but they were still her  _ family.  _ And all the innocent lives in Wycome...they had nothing to do with anything!

 

She clenched her jaw, sucking in breath between her teeth, and slowly raised her head, her hands dropping down to her lap. Why was the world like this? What was  _ wrong _ with people?  _ Why _ would they do that?!

  
She felt at her waist. He daggers were there, at the ready. She couldn’t just sit here. She needed to do  _ something _ . Wiping at her tears furiously, she stood and glanced outside her tent flap. No one was watching. She pulled the hood over her head and tiptoed out and around the backside of her tent, heading out of camp and into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome to another establishment of the story! I'm so glad you're all enjoying it so far and I hope you continue to do so. Thank you all for your love and support!
> 
> I haven't really done many cliffhangers for this story and I don't even know if these section endings for both Aravae and Ena count, but...I'll semi count them. Hehe.
> 
> I will see you lovely people all next week!


	25. Chapter 25

Here is another beautiful piece of [Ena](https://solverne.tumblr.com/image/164510088955) done by Kawereen on Tumblr, whose blog you can find [here!](http://kawereen.tumblr.com/) It's an amazing portrait with color that is just so perfect! I've still got two more pieces to share with you in the upcoming chapters! :)

 

* * *

 

 

Ena knelt behind some rocks that helped to obscure her from view from the camp she was spying on. A red Templar camp. The tears were blindly pouring from out of her eyes and down her cheeks. With the small storm that had whipped up, flinging snow into her face and dropping the temperature, she was certain that her tears were beginning to freeze to her skin. Currently, she could care less.

 

Her clan had just been wiped out of existence.

 

Innocent elves were being slaughtered in Wycome.

 

Her best friend and now the only other surviving member of Clan Lavellan wasn’t there with her. She was off...being mysterious, keeping more secrets.

 

Ena couldn’t take anymore of this. She needed to take out her emotions on something. Or someone. What better target than the ones they were already after? She didn’t want any of the others there with her. They would just try to stop her or hold her back or tell her that what she was doing was reckless. She knew. She knew it was stupid and reckless and high risk, but...she just...didn’t care. She couldn’t just sit in her tent, sobbing her eyes out, and trying to sleep it off. There was no way she could find sleep. Not tonight.

 

She pulled the scarf around her neck up over her mouth and nose, taking deep breaths. She gripped her daggers tightly and felt the rushing blood inside her. Just as she was about to lunge out and start taking the Templars out, one by one, stealthily, she heard the crunching of snow from somewhere behind her. She spun around, ready to throw a dagger into someone’s chest, when she saw none other than The Iron Bull approaching her, one hand raised, his index finger pressed against his lips, his axe in his other hand. Ena narrowed her eyes at him, sinking lower to the ground. He kept low and knelt in front of her.

 

“Ben-Hassrath? I saw you slip away, Boss. You’re damn fast, y’know?” He sniffled quietly and rubbed his nose. “I take it whatever was in that letter wasn’t good.”

 

“If you’re here to talk me out of this, just head back, Bull,” Ena snapped, surprisingly cold. She shifted back around to peer over the rocks, counting the red Templar heads, including a behemoth she saw further back in the camp.

 

“I’m not stupid,” he retorted quickly. “I know there’s no way you’re gonna leave. I’m here to make sure you don’t get yourself killed.” He gestured behind him with his thumb. “Good work on that last camp, by the way. They don’t look like they know what hit them.”

 

“Because they didn’t.” Ena slowly absorbed what Bull had said. “So...you’re here to help?”

 

“Yeah, if that’s what it takes for you to head back to camp. They’ll definitely notice both of us gone come morning. Between Dorian’s heavy sleeping and Blackwall’s snoring, neither of them will know I’m gone for some time. You’ve got your own tent, so they won’t know unless they bring you an important report or something…” Bull shrugged. “I can tell just by looking at you that you need to work this out a bit more...physically. I understand that. So…” He brought his axe up to hold it in both hands. “Let’s get started.”

 

Ena nodded briskly. They waited for a short period of time, looking to see who they could pick off first. Or rather, who Ena could. Bull remained silent, just waiting to see what Ena was going to do. When she began to move, he crept along behind her. She made her way around the side of the camp and found one of the Templars near the edges of the camp. Ena waited for him to turn his back and she jumped out and reached her dagger up, slicing it effortlessly across his throat. He made a gurgling noise as he grasped at his throat before falling into the snow, his blood staining it red. Ena disappeared back behind the rocks and among the few trees. 

 

She repeated the process several times, keeping to the edges of the camp and taking out the Templars one by one. Since she was in no immediate danger yet, Bull remained back, letting her handle everything. It couldn’t last forever that way, though, until the alarm was raised by one of the Templars shouting, drawing attention to one of the dead bodies. Now Ena was wired. It was time for the real showdown.

 

They picked their timing wisely, since there was still a behemoth and a couple of archers left alive. They kept low and circled around the camp until they had their opportunity - when the behemoth stomped off towards the far side of camp. He was now too far away to be able to help when the archers would undoubtedly scream for it. Without triumphant battle cries or anything of the sort, Ena and Bull charged out from their hiding spots and went for the nearest Templar. Ena sliced the throat of one and threw her other dagger to lodge in the chest of another as they turned around, hearing the commotion. Bull grunted with effort, ramming the blade of his axe into the torso of one of the soldiers. The remaining one shouted in alarm and threw down his bow to draw a sword. He cried out and lunged at Bull, attempting to drive the end of the sword into his shoulder. Ena intervened, grunting as the sword collided with her armor. That would definitely leave a bruise. While the Templar recoiled, she flicked her remaining dagger and it landed true, the blade sliding into his body at the base of his neck, nearly right in-between his collarbones. 

 

Ena was about to breathe a sigh of relief until she felt the ground shaking. She whipped her head up. The behemoth was charging at them with a monstrous roar. She quickly retrieved her daggers while Bull readied himself, standing between her and the creature that used to be a man. Both dove out of the way once Bull decided that he wouldn’t be able to easily stop the behemoth’s momentum. They rolled and quickly jumped back up to their feet, spinning around to face their enemy.

 

Between Bull’s heavy blows and Ena’s quick strikes on the monster’s backside, it didn’t last too long against them. Once it fell to its knees, then crashed to its back, Ena stalked up beside of it, her eyes narrowed. Bull set his axe down and came up behind her. Just as he was about to reach a hand out and speak to her, she released a strangled cry and jumped onto the behemoth’s chest, driving her daggers into it. She pulled them out and stabbed the carcass again and again, her tears reemerging and pouring down her cheeks while the blood splattered onto her face and clothes. Bull went still, a bit stunned at Ena’s violent outburst, but he kept back, letting her do as she pleased. 

 

She screamed until her voice went hoarse and stabbed until the energy crept from her body. Still, with her head hanging and her shoulders sagging, she kept prying the knife out of the behemoth’s chest and forcing it back in, her screams reduce to thick sobs. Bull then came over and reached out to her, murmuring softly, “C’mon, Boss. It’s alright. Come here.”

 

He managed to pull her off the body and held her close to him, her back against him, his grip just tight enough to keep her from trying to go back and continue what she was doing. Though she struggled a little, her heart wasn’t in it. Her heart had shattered and the pieces were stabbing pains in her chest. She eventually gave into her wobbling knees and sunk down into the snow, her hands reaching up and clutching at Bull’s arms. She held onto him as tightly as she could, Bull remaining down in the cold snow with her until she had cried all the tears she had left.

 

* * *

 

Aravae shivered, pulling her hood over her head, the snow pounding against her face. Ghilana made an unhappy grunt and she rubbed the beast’s neck. “I know, ma falon.”

 

“We should be just about caught up to the others. I think we are within the territory of the Emprise du Lion.” There was a small shudder in Solas’ voice as he spoke.

 

“Hopefully they’re still here.”

 

“We’ll find out when we reach camp.”

 

Banal’ras made several unhappy noises as they pushed on through the snow. Aravae felt bad for him. He was probably as far as out his element as he could be, not to mention he couldn’t do much successful hunting without it being dark and having the aid of trees. The poor beast stood out too much. Still, he kept walking with them and didn’t leave. She would have to do her part and help him out while they were there.

 

They followed along the large, frozen river and breathed sighs of relief when they saw smoke in the distance. Where there was smoke, there was fire. Where there was fire, there was warmth. They’d used a couple of heat spells for themselves, but they didn’t want to wear themselves out before they arrived, just in case they had to head out into the field to help the others. When they drew closer to camp, even Banal’ras wandered in, sticking close to Aravae. A soldier ran up and took the reins of the harts and led them off to be tended to once the elvhen dismounted. They made their way off towards the fires to warm themselves and after a quick greeting, another soldier came by with a few hot bowls of soup for them. Aravae took hers with a grateful nod before inquiring, “Where is the Inquisitor’s group?”

 

“They headed out early this morning, ma’am. There’s been word that they made camp further up towards Suledin Keep. We’ve made slow progress getting up there. Mounts can’t traverse the terrain easily.”

 

“I see. Thank you.”

 

The soldier gave a quick salute before heading off. She glanced over to Solas and asked softly, “What do you think?”

 

“We should go after them still. We can help them, should they need it. If not...what better place to come clean than somewhere as isolated and quiet as this?” Solas sipped on his soup. “Not to mention… Have you felt that presence?”

 

“Presence?” Aravae paused, concentrating, trying to figure out precisely what he meant. “No, I don’t feel anything.”

 

He frowned lightly. “I don’t think it’s just in my mind. It feels like something sinister and yet...familiar. Perhaps when we get a bit closer to it, you’ll sense it as well.”

 

“Very well. All the more reason to be on the move again soon.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

The two quickly finished off their soup and handed the dishes back. Just as their bodies were beginning to feel warmed again by the fire, they headed back out into the cold, Banal’ras keeping ahead of them, the panther staring at all the landscape with curiosity. He stalked off at one point, when he saw several trees clumped together. Aravae didn’t keep her eyes on him, but she heard a few crunches of snow and a distressed squeal, so she assumed he’d managed to catch something for himself, likely small, since she hadn’t seen anything. He’d be along to catch up soon enough.

 

She kept her cloak wrapped tightly around her and walked close to Solas. The two kept their staves out and ready, using them to help them on the climb through the Emprise. The further they went, the more carcasses they saw littered on the ground, any evidence of blood covered by the fresh blanket of snow. Each was wearing Templar armor or had red lyrium spikes emerging from their bodies. Aravae narrowed her eyes at them and pressed on, not wanting to linger near the stuff when it gave her a horrid feeling in her stomach and a headache. 

 

Before much longer, Aravae could feel what Solas was talking about. She could tell that there was something...dark nearby. It made her skin tingle and a weight press down on her shoulders. Yet, as he’d said, there was some aspect of it that  _ did _ feel slightly familiar. What would still exist from Elvhenan times that was evil that the Evanuris hadn’t disposed of? That would be the only thing that would be familiar to her. It was on the edge of her mind, but she couldn’t quite find the words. Still, to let Solas know, she murmured, “I feel it now.”

 

He merely made a concerned humming sound.

 

At long last, they heard commotion up ahead and assumed they were nearing the camp the soldier had spoken of. Aravae saw the Inquisition flag in the distance, so she knew they weren’t around another red Templar encampment. From the looks of it, Ena and the inner circle had done well getting rid of them. When they’d briefly stopped by in the Exalted Plains, it also appeared that they’d gotten all their business taken care of there. Aravae felt a pang of guilt, knowing how long they’d been gone.

 

As they approached, they heard a familiar voice call out to them. “Well, I’ll be. Chuckles and Ivy. Thought for sure you two up and left us, not that I would blame you.”

 

Aravae dared to crack a small grin at the dwarf. “Varric. It’ll take more than that to be rid of us.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied with a soft chuckle. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose you’d enlighten me as to where you two ran off to?”

 

“Actually… We’d rather enlighten everyone. Where  _ is _ everyone?”

 

“Ah, yeah… About that.” Varric cleared his throat, then gestured for the two to follow him. He led them to a tent and they stepped inside for privacy. Once they were alone, Varric heaved a sigh. “Well, here’s the thing. We woke up this morning and found that Zinnia wasn’t in her tent. Neither was Tiny. We barely managed to pick up their trail, so we can only assumed that they’d snuck out in the night. We don’t know why they went off without us. Last I saw right before I turned in for the night, Zinnia got a missive from Leliana.” He rubbed the back of his neck while Aravae and Solas exchanged worried looks. “We follow the trail and find all the red Templars taken care of. We got here and they left a message about this being a good spot for camp. So a few of us stayed here to help get word back to the village and set up here. We were going to follow after the others soon, since it’s coming along now. We haven’t heard if the others caught up to them.”

 

Solas furrowed his brows. “Why would the Inquisitor do something so reckless?”

 

“She must have gotten some bad news of some kind.” Aravae ran a hand through her hair. “There’s no other reason she would sneak off or go after enemies alone like she’s...consumed by bloodlust. We need to catch up with her.”

 

“Hey, I’ll grab the others and we’ll come along with you.”

 

“Let’s go, then. We’ll leave shortly.”

 

“Right.”

 

Varric gathered the other inner circle members that had remained behind. With him, standing at the exit of camp, was Vivienne and Sera. They silently nodded at Aravae and Solas in acknowledgement, their expressions serious. For Sera to not even make a quick quip at them indicated how worried they all were about Ena.

 

They pressed on together, Sera finding the trail and leading them after the others. The snow continued to fall on them, the flakes thick and heavy. Aravae set her hair back in a braid, just in case they ran into trouble, tucked it down into her cloak, and threw the hood back over her head. The silence was tense until Vivienne broke it. “I don’t suppose you’d tell us where you were? Ena was quite worried.”

 

“Just as we told Varric, we would like to speak with you all at once,” Solas replied stoically. “It will be easier than telling the tale again and again.”

 

“Hmm.” Vivienne raised an eyebrow, but said no more.

 

“I’m just thinking out loud here,” Varric murmured as they climbed higher, nearing the ruins of the keep, “but do you think maybe they got in trouble with that demon?”

 

Aravae frowned and turned her attention towards the dwarf. “Demon?”

 

“Yeah. We met some chevalier in Sahrnia that said he was hunting a demon. He got caught up protecting the villagers, so Ena said that she would handle it for him.” Varric scratched his stubble. “The weird part is that… Well, Chuckles, you know more about demons, so maybe you could give us more insight. This demon has a name, apparently. How can a demon possess higher level intelligence and just give itself a name?”

 

A chill rushed through Aravae’s body, stunning her so much that she stopped walking. Solas had a similar reaction, his eyes flashing with realization and danger. Noticing they’d stopped, Sera commented, “I know, that’s what I did, too. But what’s up? You both look all...serious. More than normal, at least.”

 

“The name,” Solas said sharply. “What was it’s name?”

 

“Imshael,” Vivienne supplied.

 

Aravae’s breath caught in her throat. Imshael. One of the Forgotten Ones. That’s what she had been unable to match the feeling to. When they had been banished from Elvhenan lands, they’d become demons so that they no longer had earthly tethers. She couldn’t fathom that they were still around after all this time. Then again, she and Solas were, so it clearly wasn’t impossible.

 

“Okay, that’s not a normal reaction. Do you  _ know _ this demon?” Varric demanded.

 

“We must hurry.” Solas began pushing his way through the snow again with urgency. “He is nearby?”

 

“In Suledin Keep, but-”

 

“Let’s go,” Aravae urged.

 

Vivienne narrowed her eyes at them, her magic melting the snow at her feet. “Why can’t you two just enlighten the rest of us? You’ve both been mysterious from the beginning, undoubtedly withholding secrets, you disappear to Maker knows where, and now you suddenly come back and apparently know something about this demon, but you’re both  _ too important _ to share it with the rest of us?”

 

Aravae whirled around to meet Vivienne’s ired gaze, matching it with her own. “I apologize,  _ Madame de Fer _ , but I swear to you that we will explain everything -  _ when _ we are with the others and they are  _ safe _ . Imshael is dangerous and cunning. If Ena has encountered him, she will need all the help she can get.”

 

Though Aravae’s response clearly didn’t sit well with her, Vivienne released an exasperated breath, but followed after the elvhen as they began moving again. Varric and Sera exchanged concerned looks before hurrying after them.

 

Suledin Keep, like the areas before it, had freshly slain red Templars scattered throughout its ruins. When faint voices reached Aravae’s ears, she paused, trying to tell which way it was coming from, but it was bouncing off of the walls. She glanced at the others with worry before breaking out into a sprint. She caught sight of Ena and Bull’s footprints and chased after them. The frigid air made it hard for her to breathe as she ran, but that didn’t matter right now. Imshael had survived all these years and if he had done that, he was surely as strong and clever as he had been long ago. He had a silver tongue, a way of twisting the words around to produce something someone would like to hear.

 

“...show you that you have a choice,” a male voice purred. “It doesn’t always have to end in blood.”

 

“...Talk,” Ena snapped.

 

_ No, don’t listen to him, Ena!  _ Aravae scolded in her head, but she momentarily couldn’t use her voice. They were getting close; She would be able to intervene.

 

“Simple. We don’t fight, and I grant you power, shower you with riches, or maybe virgins. Your pick.” There was a hint of a chuckle in his voice. “Then we all live happily ever after. Well, not  _ all _ of us. But who’s counting?”

 

Aravae saw the backs of the other inner circle members and caught sight of Ena’s fiery hair. “Ena! Stop!” she shouted.

 

The companions all spun around, clearly surprised to have heard Aravae’s voice. She and the others slowed their run until they came to a slow walk, panting for breath. Aravae made her way through them until she came to stand just out of arm’s reach of Ena. The golden eyed woman slowly faced her, her expression shifting from anger to relief. Aravae pondered for a split second if that anger was directed at her, but then she noticed Ena’s appearance. Her eyes were red and exhausted looking, complete with dark bags underneath them. Aravae whispered, “Ma falon, what happened?”

 

Ena herself looked so weary. Her shoulders sagged and she averted her eyes. “Oh, Aravae, something… Something awful.”

 

A foreign voice, the one belonging to Imshael, Aravae assumed, cleared his throat loudly. “Excuse me? I believe we were having a chat over here?”

 

Solas and Aravae stepped forward with murderous glares, the two standing in front of Ena side by side. Imshael had taken a momentary form as a human man. His physical form was unfamiliar, but his aura was unmistakable. Aravae knew for sure it had to be him. “You won’t be making any deals here today, demon,” Solas said with a slight snarl, frost forming on his staff.

 

Imshael clicked his tongue and sighed with disappointment. “I thought I sensed you coming. I figured I could wrap this up a bit more quickly. Besides, if you could call me by my proper title,  _ choice spirit,  _ I would appreciate it.” He let his arms hang at his side and he tilted his head with curiosity. “But now that you’re here, I can tell... neither of you have your full power. Isn’t this just  _ delicious? _ ” He cackled with a toothy grin.

 

There was no point in hiding or denying anything he said. They’d come there with the intention of coming clean, after all. Aravae sneered back at the demon. “We don’t need to both be at our full power in order to take care of you, Imshael.”

 

He hummed with consideration, though his expression was exaggerated and sarcastic. “Is that so? I find that hard to believe.” His face darkened, as did his smile. “Shall we find out? I can unleash my full power on you.”

 

Simultaneously, Aravae and Solas threw up barriers around everyone while a dark cloud absorbed Imshael as he reverted into a more demonic form. Aravae spun around quickly to face Ena. “You all need to get out of here! Solas and I can handle this!”

 

“I’m not going to just leave you!” Ena insisted.

 

“You said yourself that we would all need to help to defeat it,” Varric reminded her, pulling Bianca out and prepping her.

 

“ _ Please _ , Ena.” Aravae gripped one of Ena’s shoulders. “I swear to you, we came back with every intention of telling you everything. No more secrets. Just trust me this one last time - Imshael is  _ dangerous _ and I don’t want him to hurt you. Any of you. Let Solas and I take care of this. Just get out of his range.”

 

Ena stared back with determination, but when she saw the desperation in Aravae’s eyes, her resolve faltered. She gave a curt nod. “If I see you in trouble, I’m coming back.”

 

“I will be fine-”

 

“Aravae! Get ready!” Solas called, Imshael emerging in the form of a fear demon, letting loose a horrendous shriek.

 

“Go!” Aravae gave Ena a shove to encourage her to get moving. Though she hesitated once more, Ena called for the others to retreat. Aravae stood fast at Solas’s side, her staff crackling with electricity. Without their friends in the immediate area, they could let loose more of their true power without having to worry about hurting any of them. Likewise, they knew Imshael would hold nothing back. 

 

Imshael cackled and flew at them, claws extended and reaching for them. Aravae jumped in front of Solas and spun her staff around, aiming the blade on the bottom up at the demon. He shifted out of the way just in time, veering off in a circle. He stopped just a short distance away, his sharp teeth still forming a smile. “How the mighty have fallen. I recognize you, Dread Wolf. You need to have your little harem girl to protect you?”

 

“If anyone here needs protecting, it is you,” Solas growled, stepping out from behind Aravae and calling forth his magic. Large ice shards form in the air and he threw them at Imshael. The demon sped out of the way, one or two colliding with his body, but not fazing him.

 

Not giving him time to rest, Aravae summoned an orb of lightning and sent it after Imshael, the bolts striking at him, but he kept weaving in and out of danger. He made his way back to the pair and struck at Solas. He raised his staff to try and block it, but the force threw him backwards, knocking him into the stone. Aravae was about to call out to him when she heard his hiss of pain after slamming against the pillar, but Imshael kept her distracted. He came back around and swiped at her, but she was ready. She stopped his claws with her staff. As she felt herself also being forced backwards, she surged with lightning, the spell covering her staff. Imshael grunted and retreated back, Aravae stumbling down a couple of steps to regain her balance.

 

“Tell me, how does it feel?” Imshael inquired, shifting into a rage demon. “To be so cut off from your source of magic? To walk through this muffled world? To feel so powerless in comparison to how you used to be?” Flames flickered out from his body as he advanced towards Aravae again. “Because I am stronger than ever! Two meek ancient elves mean nothing to me. I thrive off of the chaos!”

 

As his flames roared and shot towards Aravae, she cast a quick barrier before raising a wall of ice, ducking behind it. She knew it wouldn’t last long if he wasn’t interrupted. The intense heat made her sweat uncomfortably while she quickly came up with a plan. She glanced around at her surroundings. There wasn’t much in the way of cover, but she could make due. Water dripped down onto her head as the wall behind her melted. She dove out from behind it and rolled behind a small rise in the stone. She heard Imshael’s sickening laughter getting closer. She didn’t dare look, lest she get a faceful of fire. A shout from Solas reached her ears, coupled with irritated noises from Imshael. She dared to peer just over the top of the rise and saw that the demon had been distracted by Solas, who had picked himself up and was now unleashing attack after attack of ice and rift magic. The stone and ground crumbled as Solas called on them to do his bidding, Imshael now being forced on the defensive.

 

Aravae fired her own spells at him, striking him from behind while he was preoccupied. After several solid hits from both of them, Imshael growled and was absorbed by his dark cloud once more. “Xebenkeck, Gaxkang, give me strength!” he rumbled. He flew out of it as a raven, shooting towards Aravae. She shifted her weight, trying to move out of the way, but she felt a sting on her upper arm as his talons sliced through her clothing. Her lip curled as she shot another few lightning bolts at him, but he dodged them with ease. He landed on top of the old, tall structure in the center of the immediate area, cawing with laughter. He slid back into his human appearance. “Well, well. Seems like you both have a few tricks up your sleeves after all! Color me impressed. But it wouldn’t be any fun to end our little game right  _ here _ , would it? I think not!”

 

“What sort of nonsense are you spouting?” Solas slammed the butt end of his staff on the ground, several more stones rising around him, hovering in the air, ready to be launched. At his side, Aravae’s lightning sparked dangerously from her body. 

 

“It isn’t  _ nonsense _ .” Imshael waved with his hand, which had several drops of Aravae’s blood on it. He smirked and licked it from his fingers. “Ah, my dear little elf… We’ll meet again soon. When we do, I will gladly squeeze the life from you with my own hands. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to watch Fen’harel himself lose something of his...since I cannot reach the other Evanuris. I’ll see you later.”

 

He slunk back into the raven form and flapped his wings as hard as he could, moving out of range of the attacks that were aimed at him. Aravae and Solas watched silently as he disappeared from sight.

 

“...Damn him,” Solas murmured, wiping sweat from his brow. “He will regret making threats.”

 

“It’s alright, Solas.” Aravae set her hand on his arm. “He’s just a talker. We will deal with him.”

 

His brows slowly furrowed as he looked at her. “If he is still alive… I wonder if the other Forgotten Ones still roam freely as well. If they became demons, my raising the Veil will not hold them back, thanks to all the Fade rifts…”

 

“One thing at a time,” she assured him. “For right now, I think we have something bigger to worry about.”

 

“Yes… You’re right.”

 

The two slowly turned around, now facing the Inquisitor and her inner circle, all expressions a mixture of confusion, anger, and shock. Aravae found it hard to meet Ena’s gaze. When she did, she was a little surprised to see that the Dalish woman didn’t look entirely surprised. Still, her lips were parted and she took a few slow steps down towards them. Her gaze passed back and forth between the two before her. She finally settled on Solas and croaked, “...Fen’harel?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I apologize about my tardiness. I was both semi in the path of the hurricane and was also acting as shelter for my family and friends, so my house was packed and I did not have much time for writing until about late yesterday. However, I hope the chapter helped to make up for it! A bit of action and some interesting new developments.
> 
> I had to leave it there. I had no choice. It was too perfect.
> 
> Hopefully the next hurricane will stay far away (although they're predicting it currently to head straight for us) so that I can work on getting the next chapter out to you all! Thank you as always for all of your support. I have the best readers in the world. <3 See you soon!


	26. Chapter 26

We're so close to being caught up on artwork! [Here](https://solverne.tumblr.com/post/162718790330/my-latest-commission-piece-that-the-wonderful) is a piece with both Aravae and Ena, done once again by the marvelous [Hansaera](http://hansaera.tumblr.com/)!

 

* * *

 

 

“Fen’harel?” Cassandra echoed. “Isn’t that the god that killed the other gods of your people?”

 

“It isn’t anything as simple as that,” Aravae interjected, cutting off everyone else that looked like they were about to input. “Look, I know you all have questions and you’re confused. We’re going to explain. However, it’s also getting dark. How about we set up for the night and we’ll all sit by the fire and talk?”

 

“This sounds like something pretty big,” Blackwall said. “Can it really wait?”

 

Bull leaned forward to glance at Ena. “...This is your call, Boss.”

 

Her mouth finally closed and she cleared her throat quietly. “Yes. Let’s set up for the night.”

 

Tensions were clearly high as everyone slowly set into motion, some picking an appropriate place to pitch tents, some going to grab wood to be burned. Aravae, Solas, and Ena all remained still, as if frozen to their spots. Ena managed to pry her eyes away from Solas and look at Aravae. She struggled to get her words out, trying to momentarily ignore what she had just learned. “The clan,” she blurted. “They’re dead.”

 

Aravae’s mind raced, wrapping itself around what she’d just said. “Wha-... Wait, what? How?”

 

“Shems,” she croaked. “It’s always the shems, isn’t it? But...it’s also...my fault. I made a bad call and...things happened and...they were blamed and now they’re all dead. All of them.”

 

Aravae’s heart stung at the news. In the short time she’d been with Clan Lavellan, she hadn’t made many friends due to her being an outsider, but Keeper Deshanna had been so accepting and patient, much unlike any other Dalish. Aravae had felt indebted to her for helping save her life and allowing her time to recover. Then, she just never left them. She was still holding onto the promise that she would protect Ena from whatever happened. Now Ena was the sole survivor of Clan Lavellan… No. Not exactly. She wouldn’t think that way. Aravae had officially been accepted as one of them. Aravae was a Lavellan, too. She was all Ena had left of a family.

 

And here she was, about to break her heart once again. What kind of a family member was she?

 

“Ena, I’m… Ir abelas. I’m so sorry. I don’t… I don’t know what else to say…”

 

“I just...wanted you to know.”

 

Aravae was about to speak again, but Ena hurried off, brushing by them, her eyes glued to the ground. Aravae spun around, about to go after her, but Solas caught her arm with a slight shake of his head. She met his gaze, then shook herself free and stalked off to the side, making her way up the few steps and looking out towards the rest of the ruins. There was a moment of hesitation before she heard the soft crunching of snow from Solas approaching. She could feel the eyes boring holes into their backs as he slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

 

She scoffed humorlessly, still staring at anywhere but him. Her chest constricted painfully, making it hard to draw breath. “Anyone around me is doomed to suffering. I’ve thought that before, but now...it’s just been confirmed in my mind.”

 

He squeezed her gently. “That isn’t true.” 

 

“It is,” she insisted immediately, her voice cracking slightly. She cursed at herself. Now wasn’t the time for her to be showing weakness and breaking down. Inhaling deeply, she tried to calm herself. “Everyone that’s ever even been around me for an extended period of time has either died or suffered. My parents, my brother, my husband, my daughter… The friends I made during the rebellion. Ena, Clan Lavellan... _ you _ .” She chuckled without smiling. “Even Falon’din.”

 

“Those are all unfortunate circumstances that had  _ nothing _ to do with you.” He stepped around in front of her and tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him. “You are a survivor, Aravae. Time and again when the world came crashing down around you, you have found a way to make it through. If you are cursed, then so am I. No one has ruined things as much as myself.”

 

Aravae shook her head. “You were just trying to do the right thing and...it didn’t go as planned.”

 

“That is why I have you.” He gave her a smile, the edges of his eyes crinkling. “To remind me of that and to keep me grounded. You have supported me without hesitation. I will endeavor to do the same for you.”

 

“...Thank you,” she whispered, unable to find the words to say more.

 

He pecked her forehead. “Now...shall we go? This is one more obstacle for us to overcome, but this one, we shall do together.”

 

The thought of the expressions that were going to be portrayed at them made Aravae hesitate, but she had to keep her resolve. They had decided to do this. They’d gone to a temple of Falon’din and had spoken to other elvhen to go ahead and start trying to move in their plan. In order for them to do this, they couldn’t lie any longer about who they were. It was when they heard about the orb Corypheus possesses being Solas’s that made her nervous. Everything else, they could perhaps move past, but…

 

“Yes. Let’s go.”

 

They slowly walked together towards the fire that had been built. The mages had melted the snow and dried the ground in the area where they were finishing up pitching the tents. A couple of them were sitting, most were standing, but all were tense. Aravae and Solas remained standing. For several long moments, there was no noise except for the crackling of the fire. All eyes were focused on the two elvhen, anxiously waiting for one of them to begin.

 

Aravae sucked in a gulp of air. “I know you’re going to want to ask questions, but...please, wait until I’m done. If I’m interrupted, I… It’ll just be easier if you wait.”

 

There were a few unconvinced nods, but she took it. She decided to begin with what she had told Ena, without revealing that she’d already given this speech to her once. She explained how she was not an elf of the modern world, but was rather an ancient elvhen that was still alive because of falling into uthenera for centuries. She awoke not long before Clan Lavellan had found her and saved her from the Templars, individuals she didn’t know existed, including their powers. She kept her identity secret until she learned more about the world that she awoke in. The more she learned, the less inclined she was to share who she really was.

 

She gave them a quick discussion on the Evanuris. Who they were, who she served, and what they had eventually become. She still spoke of Fen’harel momentarily as a separate being than Solas, wanting to paint him in the correct light before confirming who he was. She even heard Varric mutter at one point, “He doesn’t sound like much of a villain to me.” She took that as she was doing a well enough job.

 

She then got to Solas. She admitted that they knew each other very well from before, that they fought and bled together to help save the elvhen people. When she was about to say it, the words caught in her throat. She’d gotten this far by mainly staring into the fire, but when she looked up, she found it hard to push on after seeing their faces. 

 

“I am Fen’harel. You heard correctly,” Solas said with confidence. His hands were clasped behind his back and his voice was calm. “Myself and the other Evanuris were worshipped as gods because of our magic potential far exceeding everyone else’s. I have never called myself as such. No matter how much I denied it, the title of Fen’harel had all but taken over my normal name… Something I feel that you can relate to, Ena.” He bobbed his head at her, the Dalish woman’s eyes intently watching him. “We fought for as long as we could, but the other Evanuris, save Mythal, had gone mad. They eventually caught up to Mythal and killed her. For me, that was the final straw. I went to my own fortress, Tarasy’lan Te’las. Or, as you now know it: Skyhold. From there, I managed to corner the other Evanuris and banish them...by raising the Veil.”

 

It was then that the exclamations and questions roared into being. Voices overlapped, trying to have their question heard to be answered. Solas didn’t flinch, though Aravae could see the familiar signs of regret in his eyes. After several seconds of everyone shouting over each other, he raised his hands. “Please, allow me to continue.”

 

They eventually fell silent, everyone now standing. A few of them were even leaning forward in anticipation. Aravae knew it wasn’t easy for them, listening to him say things that were unraveling their entire understandings of the world as they knew it. She saw Cole standing in the back of the group, in the shadows, his gaze lingering on her with a faint smile on his lips, as though he was silently encouraging her.

 

Solas began to speak again, explaining his decision and what he’d hoped to accomplish by raising the Veil. He hadn’t realized all the negative effects it would have on the world, on its people and the spirits. Having used so much of his power, he fell into uthenera himself and had only awoken a short time ago. He informed them of focis, what they were and how they worked. He then slowly described his before concluding with, “It is what Corypheus has his hands on. When he unlocked its power, that is what caused the explosion at the Conclave...and it is what placed the mark upon your hand, Ena.”

 

This time, there was heavy silence as everyone processed this, mouths gaping. Aravae watched as they pieced it together in their minds. Solas’s orb, what it was capable of, it being in the hands of Corypheus, that it was  _ Solas’s orb _ that had caused Ena to be in the middle of all of this…

 

“Believe me if you will,” Solas continued, “but ever since I have joined you, my goals have been the same as yours. We must stop Corypheus before he destroys the world and kills everyone. I have wanted to help you from the beginning. I would like to reclaim my orb and fix what he has done.” He paused to glance at Aravae. “Originally, I was going to tear the Veil down to restore what  _ I  _ had destroyed. I wanted to give the elves their immortality back, their culture, everything how it was. In doing so, it may have possibly set this world ablaze. However, Aravae has encouraged me to alter my goal. Even if I were to try and restore things exactly how they used to be, it would not be the same world that we once knew. I understand now if you do not wish me to remain with you and the Inquisition. However, I ask that you do not shun Aravae for it. She has not committed any sins such as I have and was the one who showed me the worth of this world so that I may not ruin it.”

 

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. She had not been expecting to hear him say that. When she looked to him, she was going to deny that. If they were going to send Solas away, she would go with him. As much as she cared for Ena and wanted to protect her, she could also do that from a distance, by not giving danger a chance to get close to her. However, when she saw the determined shine in Solas’s eyes, her words died in her throat. She knew that he was trying to shield her, but she didn’t want his protection from this. She’d felt just as guilty keeping all of this from the people who called themselves her friends. She didn’t want him to bear the brunt of this all alone.

 

“I always figured there was somethin’ more about you and your elvhen glory,” Sera grumbled, throwing her hands up in the air. “The way you prattle on and on about it. Now you’re sayin’ that you’re the reason the world is the way it is? Demons and Fade and whatnot?”

 

“More or less.”

 

“Shite,” she spat as she turned her back to him, shaking her head back and forth.

 

“This is all...quite difficult to swallow,” Cassandra said hesitantly. “It does explain why you were so quick to come to the Breach and offer your help with the magic no one had seen before.”

 

“Well, I always knew there was something odd about you...save your fashion sense,” Dorian spoke up, lightly cracking a joke, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

 

“If all of what you said is true, why do the Dalish believe you’re an evil being?” Varric inquired.

 

“The survivors of everything that transpired. Those that opposed me far outnumbered those who supported me. Naturally, they all believed I was cruel and evil for locking away their beloved gods, no matter how twisted they’d become. The power of a story with false facts is something to be feared.” He shifted his weight. “I fought for the freedom of my people, but all I am remembered for is cursing the elvhen people and bringing ruin to them. While it is true, the details of why it occurred have been lost.”

 

“If it is your magic in Ena’s hand, why can’t you reclaim it?” Vivienne demanded. “She isn’t even a mage. Who truly knows what sort of effects she will have after all this is over?”

 

“I am not yet strong enough to take it back,” he admitted. “However, by time we close all the rifts, I should be able to do so. Besides, how would the people react if the individual they call the Herald of Andraste with the divine power to heal the sky was to suddenly lose this power?” He narrowed his eyes slightly at Ena, looking conflicted. “None but I are supposed to be able to contain that magic, not even Aravae. If left alone, it would eventually kill you. However, when I treat it, I am suppressing it to prevent it from spreading and causing you too much pain. It is...the very least I can do.”

 

The crackling of the fire was the predominant sound once again. Ena shifted slowly, her eyes turning away from Aravae and Solas. “I just...need time to finish processing this,” she explained at a whisper, vanishing into her tent.

 

Aravae spoke up softly. “I’m sure the rest of you do, too. We’ll keep watch tonight so that you can all have the time you need.”

 

For a moment, when no one moved, she was worried they were going to refuse her because perhaps they didn’t trust her anymore now. However, one by one, they headed for their tents, not saying a word. She almost would have preferred they yell at her, accuse her, blame her. It would have made it easier than not knowing what they were thinking. Once they’d all left the fire, she slunk down to the ground, pulling her cloak around her. Solas sat beside her, eyes staring into the flames. 

 

It was some time before either of them spoke. They could hear soft chatter inside of the tents, but were unable to make out much clearly. Aravae slowly leaned on Solas as complete darkness fell over the land, the only source of light now the fire before them. She felt Solas shift his head at one point before saying softly, “Banal’ras is back.”

 

Aravae turned to look where Solas was. She saw the gleaming eyes reflecting the light, bobbing up and down as the panther approached them. He came just within arm’s reach, Aravae stretching out to rub her hand down along his silky coat. “Where have you been, hmm?”

 

He looked from Aravae to Solas, seemingly enjoying his pets. He took another step closer, then circled around a couple of times before curling up behind them, all but leaning against Aravae, but just barely touching Solas. 

 

The three of them sat there in the darkness for quite some time. Hours, Aravae was certain. There was too much cloud cover to be able to see any stars or even the light of the moons. Without anything to judge the time by, it felt like it was just crawling on and on. When a tent flap opened, both of them tensed up, causing Banal’ras to rouse and lift his head. It was Ena. She looked even more tired than she had earlier, the weariness easy to see weighing her down. Her eyes locked onto Aravae’s and she paused before stepping off towards the side of camp, just out of the light of the fire. Aravae glanced over at Solas and gave a small nod. He sat upright as she rose to her feet. Banal’ras stood and padded off to a nearby tree. After studying it for a moment, he extracted his claws and climbed it, settling on a thick enough branch to support him, the snow fluttering to the ground below.

 

Aravae went to Ena’s side, looking out into the darkness as her eyes adjusted. She wasn’t sure what to say, if she should even speak at all. However, she found her mouth saying things before her brain could stop it. “The clan. I assume that’s why you snuck out of camp and went after the red Templars?”

 

“...Yes,” she replied hoarsely. 

 

“Bull followed after you to protect you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I see…” She fell quiet for a few seconds. “Well, I am glad that you’re safe.”

 

“I want to be angry,” Ena stated coldly, stunning Aravae. “I really do, but… I just can’t. I accept what you had told me before about you and the Evanuris, the vallaslin, all of that… This… I guess it just makes more sense now why you didn’t want me to see Fen’harel as a villain.” She sighed heavily, watching the vapor cloud vanish into the air. “Solas being the Dread Wolf is just...a bit much for me to take in at the moment. All my life, everyone in the clan, including my own parents, believed I was cursed by Fen’harel and if I didn’t do something to appease him, he would catch the scent of not just me, but the entire clan. Then this all happens and...I’m not sure what to believe anymore.” She laughed shortly. “I even started to develop feelings for him, for  _ Fen’harel _ , but then after what I saw in Redcliffe, I knew I couldn’t do anything about it.”

 

Aravae listened with complete intent, but she was shocked to hear that Ena had started to have feelings for Solas. She had hidden it very well. Aravae was both upset and glad that Ena hadn’t acted on those feelings. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if she’d realized how she felt and Ena and Solas had somehow ended up together. Or if Solas had rejected Ena, then confessed to Aravae. The entire situation could have been so much more awkward.

 

“And now, after what Bull said and seeing you two… I can tell.” She sniffled. Whether it was from cold or sadness, Aravae wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “How long have you...been together?”

 

“Since just before you returned from the Fallow Mire,” she answered honestly and without hesitation. “I’d been...conflicted for some time, but I, umm...did something rather stupid one night and it led us to talk about it. I’d been so hung up about my husband for so long and while I will always love him...I finally came to terms with the fact that it has been a very long time since then and he wouldn’t want me to wallow in sorrow forever.”

 

She’d rambled on more than she meant, but since she had just admitted to everything she’d been keeping a secret, she figured she may as well apply that honesty to everything. Ena nodded slowly and shivered. “Like I said, I  _ want _ to be angry...but I can’t find it in me to be. You’ve fought by my side, advised me, watched my back, bled for me… I know that you didn’t keep everything secret for any sinister reasons. I understand why you did it, I really do. Maybe if you hadn’t come to me before, to tell me some about  _ you _ ...I may not have believed you or trusted you about Fen- Solas. It’s still a lot, but at the very least...I still trust you, lethallan.”

 

Aravae felt the relief wash over her as she finally looked at Ena, both women bearing small smiles. She didn’t want to press her luck, but when Ena moved towards her, she returned it, embracing the Dalish woman tightly. “Thank you, lethallan,” Aravae whispered.

 

* * *

 

When morning came, though Aravae and Solas were tired, they said no complaints. They stood before the others, waiting to hear what they had to say. The unanimous decision was that though everyone was a little wary and still unsure of what to think, they weren’t just going to turn away two powerful mages who knew more about what they were going up against. Pleased enough with the response, the elvhen nodded in understanding and they all decided to finish helping Sahrnia by the end of the day.

 

They rescued the villagers that had been locked away and dealt with the remaining red Templars that Ena and Bull had not yet finished off. Everything was tense for the first part of the day, but the longer they all fought together, the more everyone relaxed, as if assured by the fact that Aravae and Solas were still watching their backs as though nothing had happened. If anything, now, their barriers were stronger and their spells were more powerful, helping them deal with problems quicker and with more ease. Dorian accused them at one point of being sadistic for not using more of their power to help him out when he’d been attacked by wraiths several times at Fade rifts. Bull made a snide comment about how maybe they had wanted him to get hurt, or even knocked out, so that they wouldn’t have to listen to his voice anymore. Dorian hissed at the qunari, “Vishante kaffas!”

 

Once they escorted the villagers safely back, they spent one more night in Sahrnia, bundled underneath blankets and furs and clinging close to the warmth of fires. In the morning, they would begin the journey back to Skyhold. Not thinking that anyone could be quite comfortable just yet with sharing a tent with them, Aravae and Solas hesitantly went into a tent with just the two of them. It felt a bit strange to Aravae. They had spent night after night together in the Fade, but not outside of it. She felt a bit tense. Once Solas made sure it was okay with her, he didn’t undress much, wanting to be able to stay warm in the cold air, but he did crawl into the bedroll right beside of her. Once his arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight against his chest, she relaxed and dozed off quickly, Banal’ras not far away, curled up.

 

When they exited the next morning, Bull, Dorian, and Varric were standing not far away with what could only be described as shit-eating grins, their eyebrows waggling suggestively. Aravae flushed unexpectedly, not having guessed that they would have done that, but then fired small sparks of electricity at them to chase them off. Solas couldn’t help but smirk at the transaction.

 

Once everyone was awake and eating breakfast, Sera tiptoed around Aravae and Solas to get to Ena. Clearly the archer was the most unsettled around the two of them, but neither were pushing her to act normally towards them again. Sera informed Ena that along their way back to Skyhold, they would pass right through an area that had ‘Red Jenny business’. As soon as Sera assured her it wasn’t any elaborate prank or too far out of the way, Ena agreed to go. From the sounds of it, it seemed like it was a pick-up for rewards for helping out the Red Jennies a few times before.

 

They mounted up and were on their way, eager to get back to Skyhold. There was talk of hot baths, good food, and comfortable beds. Everyone’s spirits seemed to be lifted, thinking of the place that had started to become like a home to them, regardless of the history they now knew it had. Aravae and Solas remained near the back, Banal’ras trailing after them, riding silently. Not many of the others had gone out of their way to talk to them and they weren’t going to press it. When Ena slowed Falon’s stride to ride near them, Aravae raised an eyebrow at her with a silent question.

 

“Where did you go? After the plains?” 

 

The elvhen exchanged a glance. Aravae took a quick inhale through her nose. “Let me explain to you what it is I have suggested Solas do, instead of his original plans. It’s related, I promise. There are still some temples that are guarded by sentinels. The temples were built to honor the Evanuris. Some of these have not completely fallen to ruin. The sentinels that still awaken to protect it when invaders come to loot are also elvhen, like us. I suggested that we travel, find the remaining temples, and talk with them, see if we could encourage them to leave. We could find a new location, somewhere far in a forest somewhere, and start to rebuild a city for our people. Not just strictly elvhen, but elves of your kind as well. I don’t mean that in a demeaning manner,” she added quickly. “Just that most elvhen share our original views - that the Dalish and city elves are a shadow of what we once were. However, our time has clearly passed. Your culture is entirely different from ours. I feel that if we were to slowly share the truth about what happened… In time, we could all come to live together with one shared history.”

 

Ena’s face, which had been nearly shining with hope, fell. “You say in time, but… I imagine that would mean generations later. Long after I’m gone.”

 

“We are also going to try to research to see if there is a safe way to restore elves’ connection to the Fade to return their longevity of life,” Solas said. “Clearly, without causing havoc and releasing the Evanuris from their prison. If they were to get free, the world would fall regardless.”

 

Ena’s fingers traced along her orange vallaslin. “They were truly that evil?”

 

“They weren’t originally. But when normal people are raised higher and higher by the masses until they are worshipped as gods...not many would retain humility.”

 

She nodded and looked back at Aravae. “So you said you found one of the temples and you tried talking to them. How did that go? What did they say?”

 

“Well…” Aravae furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose. “As luck would have it, the nearest temple to where we were was one of Falon’din’s. Unfortunately, they recognized me and branded me a traitor. With that said, they didn’t kill us. They were extremely skeptical, but said if we speak to others and they agree to our plan, they’ll consider it.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Raynia is incredibly stubborn, but she is loyal, I’ll admit. We’re lucky they didn’t try to attack us, or else it would have ended badly.”

 

“Raynia? I assume their leader?”

 

“Yes.” Aravae paused and analyzed Ena’s face. “Even if we don’t find a solution any time soon about the Veil, you could still be a large part of the beginning of the next step for elves. You’re already well respected with all eyes on you as Inquisitor. City elves will look up to you for sure. You have a Dalish background, so at the least, other clans would communicate with you. Not to mention, you’ve already won the respect of two ancient elvhen.” She offered a small smile of encouragement. “You could help make this ideal a reality.”

 

A light shade of red colored Ena’s cheeks. “It sounds like...a wonderful dream, to be honest. But...I suppose we need to handle one problem at a time. We won’t be able to build anything if Corypheus gets what he wants.”

 

Solas grunted. “That is true.”

 

Once their conversation concluded, it seemed to open a floodgate. One by one, a few of the others spoke up, asking questions and for clarification. It seemed that they never stopped talking after that point. When Vivienne brought up the story that Aravae had told them about her being a slave, she gave her props on thinking of something like that, but then inquired about if she really did have a family back then. Aravae regaled them with stories of her and her brother in their young years spending time together and occasionally causing a little bit of trouble. Cassandra urged her to tell how Rienmar had courted her, though the warrior woman shot a glare to those who gave her puzzled expressions. Aravae amused her with a wistful smile, telling her interesting snippets she could think of. When she started to speak of Estelar, her words were a little harder to get out. Her little daughter with her incredibly strong curls and her spirit of adventure… She had no doubt in her mind that she would have grown up to be an amazing woman.

 

The only time the chatter lulled after that was at night, when most of them turned in for sleep. When Aravae had woken for her shift to watch, Cole joined her, the spirit boy happy, smiling all the while. “Your hurts are so much quieter now. Everyone has worries, but nothing too painful. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

 

“Thank you, Cole.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

The journey grew easier after that, as if everyone was slowly starting to relax again. Sera even somehow managed to find a nug and tossed it into Aravae and Solas’ tent when they were sleeping and Banal’ras wasn’t around. The poor creature squealed and ran around in the tent, stomping all over the two. When they emerged, the nug fleeing, they gave Sera the most withering glares imaginable while the blonde girl doubled over with laughter, saying, “If you two are really  _ not _ stuck-up, all-powerful, cocky elfy elves, you won’t get mad over a little harmless fun!”

 

As much as Aravae did want to zap her, she restrained herself. At least even Sera seemed to be accepting the idea of who they were. Judging by the small tick on Solas’ eye, she was not alone.

 

After several more days of traveling, Sera finally announced that they were close to the pick-up spot for the Red Jenny reward. As they all came to a halt, the archer tutted, “Sorry, just for me and the boss lady! It’ll only be a sec, so the rest of you, just hang out here!”

 

When the two women returned a short time later with blood on them, Sera’s legs especially covered, the others demanded to know what had happened. Sera looked at Ena and giggled hysterically. “We just had some wine!” Ena shook her head with mock disappointment, though a smirk was dancing on her lips.

 

They knew better than to ask for specifics after that.

 

Though she wasn’t happy to be back in the snow again, the sight of Skyhold came as a comfort for Aravae. Soon, she could take a hot bath, comb out her hair, steal a book from the library, and shut herself away in her room for some much needed privacy. Or, if she wanted, she could lounge on Solas’s couch in the rotunda to read. It  _ would _ be closer to the library if she finished her book. But first things first.

 

She and Solas needed to stare down the Commander, Nightingale, and Ambassador while giving them the truth on their identities. That was something she wasn’t particularly looking forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I decided to give you the next chapter a few days early! You are all awesome and we've hit 130 kudos...what?! That's so incredible. I can't believe you all have stuck with me thus far. Don't worry - plenty of good stuff yet to come.
> 
> Quick note - I have created a collection of prompts that I receive on Tumblr that I now also post here on AO3. You can find it quickly through my profile. Just in case some of you were interested. They mostly do relate to this story.
> 
> I will see all of you wonderful people soon! Thank you for everything!


	27. Chapter 27

Okay, after you all take a look at[ this amazing picture of Aravae and Solas](https://solverne.tumblr.com/post/164710637845/she-was-sick-of-losing-people-having-them-ripped), done by the lovely [Hansaera](hansaera.tumblr.com), we are officially all caught up on artwork now! 

 

* * *

 

 

Standing in the war room and facing down the three advisers was not how Aravae had wanted to spend her morning, but it had to be done. They arrived at Skyhold late in the night and agreed with Ena to talk about it first thing in the morning. Aravae had all but passed out the moment she had landed in her bed that Josephine had brought in for her while they were gone. It felt like a dream. She hadn’t even woken up in the morning - Ena had to come and bang on her door to rouse her. She hated waking up early.

 

She and Solas stood close together as they repeated their tale to Cullen, Josephine, and Leliana. Josephine had looked shocked, Cullen was concerned, but Leliana looked nearly furious, most likely because she hadn’t seen it coming at all, which would make her feel like a failure as a spymaster. As though trying to placate her, Aravae mentioned that it would have been hard to pick up on it by trail alone. Most anything that could have revealed them, or at least Solas as Fen’harel, had been destroyed long ago, whether by time or hostile forces. They admitted that they had done a sweep of Skyhold since they arrived first, but so many books that had held important information had crumbled into dust upon being touched. 

 

They were in there for quite a time, Ena standing close by as a silent observer, being questioned by all three of them. Josephine was the first to sound positive. “Having a fabled god and a mage more powerful than our modern mages would be of a great help to the Inquisition.”

 

“Provided their allegiances don’t change,” Leliana pointed out. “Be honest, how easy would it be for you to destroy the Inquisition if you wanted?”

 

“Truthfully, it would still be incredibly difficult,” Solas replied. “I am nowhere near full power and you have a great many forces. If all the mages banded together along with the Templars in your midst, I could easily be overpowered. Perhaps in a year’s time or even later, I would be close to as strong as I could be. With the Veil in place, I will never be as strong as I used to be.”

 

“But what of the two of you together?” Cullen demanded.

 

Aravae sent Cullen and Leliana a glare. “This is pointless, even hypothetically. We are not going to betray Ena or the organization she leads. We all will have to work together to fight Corypheus. The only time I would even amuse the thought would be if the Inquisition became a force that terrorized the people it is supposed to protect.” She raised an eyebrow at them. “Are you saying that is what this will become?”

 

“Of course not, but-”

 

Aravae cut Cullen off quickly. “But nothing. It is clearly as simple as that. We are the same people you knew, just with our full histories and a little more power.”

 

Josephine leaned against the war table and hummed. “Even with your power...there is no way we could make it public about who you are. It could turn south for us very quickly, but what excuse could we use for you both to suddenly be more powerful than before?”

 

“We can fight as we have been,” Solas supplied. “We will only use more power if it is out of sight or in desperate need. Nothing truly has to change.”

 

“Why admit this to us now?” Leliana crossed her arms, her eyes still ablaze with fury. “You could have gone about your goal of creating a place for elves in secret. We may never have known and one day you just vanish, not to be heard from again.”

 

“We owe more than that to all of you. We’ve fought together, bled together, and I believe that with enough effort and persistence, we can all live in peace.” Aravae set her hand on her hip, her scars from the bear clear to be seen.

 

“That’s rather idealistic. What of Tevinter and their slave situation? Orlais and Ferelden with elves being at the bottom of the social rungs?”

 

“I never said it would be easy. There’s plenty of obstacles to be overcome. For now, just being able to give them a place to live would be a start. Those who can come, will. Those who can’t, we will find a solution for them.”

 

Silence fell in the room. Cullen looked to Ena, his hand resting atop his sword. It usually was, but for now, Aravae seemed to take note of it even more. “What do you think about all this, Inquisitor?”

 

The redhead gave a small nod. “If nothing else, I trust Aravae. Knowing that Fen’harel is in my presence and having been raised on what I  _ thought  _ he was...is a bit much to take at the moment. I trust  _ Solas _ , but this will take me some time to come to terms with.”

 

“I see…”

 

The advisors exchanged a glance. Leliana let out a small huff. “Very well. We will keep this between ourselves and the inner circle. If that is all…?”

 

“Yes. We’ll let you get back to work.” Solas gave them a polite bob of his head. He and Aravae left the room, leaving the others to get to their reports and discussions.

 

Aravae released a soft sigh. “That...could have gone worse, I suppose.”

 

“You know that Nightingale will have her people watching us,” Solas pointed out.

 

“You don’t have to tell me that. I expected that from the beginning.” She shrugged. “It isn’t like we’re hiding anything else from them or passing secrets notes off to someone.”

 

He chuckled. “Indeed not. Well, we have approximately a week and a half before we have to leave for the Winter Palace - assuming we haven’t been taken off of the guest list now. What would you like to do in the down time?”

 

She shook her head. “I can just imagine Leliana furiously scribbling our names out. I don’t think we’ll be getting back on her good side any time soon.”

 

The mischievous smirk that Solas bore made Aravae narrow her eyes at him. “I don’t think I’ve seen you so worried about a shemlen before.”

 

“You can’t deny she’s resourceful and intimidating.”

 

“I cannot.”

 

“To answer your question…” She bit her bottom lip with thought. “It’s a rather nice day out. Perhaps I’ll go find a book and a quiet corner in the gardens and just relax. It’s been some time since I’ve gotten to read.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea. I will be painting, I believe.”

 

The two entered the main hall, keeping their attention focused on each other, rather than listening to the whispers of those gathered in the hall. “I look forward to seeing your finished creations,” she told him with a smile. “I rather like them.”

 

She could have sworn for a moment that she saw the faintest tint of red on his cheeks, but it was gone when she blinked. He cleared his throat. “You’ll be the first to know when I finish.”

 

Her smile broadened slightly. Just as they started to veer off towards the door that led to the rotunda, she glanced up. She saw Vivienne from her area up above staring down at them with a watchful gaze and an arched eyebrow. Aravae’s eyes then fell to Varric, sitting at the table by the rotunda entrance, scribbling away on some parchment. His eyes were drawn to the movement, so he lifted his head and gave them a quick, polite smile before returning to what he was doing. When the rotunda closed behind them, Solas took note of her slightly downfallen expression. “What is it?”

 

She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m just being ridiculous. While the others were being nice to us while we were traveling back, all it was is niceties. They’re clearly wary of us. I don’t even imagine if things will truly be the same between us all again.”

 

“Give it time.” He reached over and gave a small squeeze of her hand. “Some will come around sooner than others. It’s a lot to process.”

 

“I know. That’s why I’m saying I’m being ridiculous.” Aravae made her way over to the stairs. “I’ll let you get to work. I’m going to pick out a book and head outside.”

 

He gave her a smile and a nod as he walked over to a blank section of the wall to examine it and plan out in his head what he was going to paint. She made her way up the stairs and came to the library. She saw Dorian sliding a book out of place before making himself comfortable in his chair that he had in a nook. As Aravae made her way past him, he spotted her and gave her a silent smile, on that reached his eyes. Thankful, Aravae returned it before moving on, picking a bookshelf to browse. She’d spotted several titles that caught her eye once she moved past all the ones about Andraste and the Maker. She’d read up on those already and didn’t find them to be of much interest. She was clearly not one for religion. She spotted one a few shelves down, near the bottom, that was about botany and medicinal applications for herbs. She slid it out just as one of the Tranquils that worked in the library came to stand beside her, reshelving other books. She quickly stepped away towards the descending stairs. She had avoided as much contact as she could with the Tranquil. She knew they weren’t bad people themselves, but their presence was enough to give her chills down her spine. She’d read about the Rite of Tranquility and what it did to its subjects. She had slammed it shut the moment the finished, a cold sweat on her brow and neck. If she didn’t have her magic or connection to the Fade, she knew for a fact that she would rather someone put her out of her misery.

 

As she walked back through the rotunda, Solas’ back was to her, still pondering at the wall. Not wanting to disturb him, she slipped through as quietly as she could, cutting through the main hall to get out to the gardens. She saw a few of the Chantry sisters and Mother Giselle strolling along in the stone walkway that outlined the gardens. A couple of people were seated on the benches, conversing quietly. A light breeze blew through, rustling the plants and brushing across Aravae’s skin. She started walking slowly, her book tucked under her arm, gazing at the difference of the area since she’d left. All the weeds had been pulled up and new flowers and herbs had been planted. Most looked like they were thriving and happy, which made the corners of her mouth quirk up. She found a bench in the back of the gardens, away from the walkway and doors. It wasn’t far away from the small gazebo, but it was tucked away behind what looked to be a rosebush, so it was secluded. It was the perfect spot for quiet reading. She sat down and rested the book beside her. She took a ribbon and threw her hair up in a messy, high ponytail, pulling her bangs out of her face, too. Once it was set back, she made herself comfortable and opened the book.

 

The chatter that occasionally reached her ears didn’t bother her. She was entirely too focused on the words on the pages before her, absorbing the information within its pages. Some things, she recognized and had learned long ago. However, it seemed that some medicine had come a bit further that didn’t require magic. Though she preferred what she knew best, she thought it was quite interesting and resourceful to learn about these other practices and applications. Who knew when it would come in handy one day?

 

Once or twice, she pulled herself away with a deep inhale, taking in the sweet scent of the flowers around her. She was also fairly certain she smell honeysuckle, but when she peered around, she couldn’t spot it. She stood to stretch and move her legs. In a comfortable chair, she could tuck her legs underneath her and spend an entire day there without moving, but when she was in a less than comfortable spot, her body would grow achy and restless, no matter the contents of the book she was reading. She was just glad that no one had come to bother her. Having some isolation after spending months with others was much needed.

 

Just as she was getting to the last fifth of the book, she heard soft footsteps approaching her and she broke away, eyes turning up quizzically. It was Ena. She looked worn out and her head was slightly tilted down the moment she was out of view. Wordlessly, Aravae slid over on the bench to make room for her. Picking up a leaf she saw on the ground near her, Aravae set it in-between the pages to mark her spot and closed the book, setting it down in her lap. Ena lowered herself down beside her, shoulders sagging. Aravae didn’t ask what was wrong. She just waited patiently.

 

“Leliana’s managed to have some agents recover the bodies of the clan so they can be brought back,” she whispered at last. “Not all of them, but it sounds like most of them. I’ll want to give them a proper burial once they arrive.”

 

“If you’ll have me, I’d like to help you,” Aravae said without hesitation. “I’m...rather used to dealing with the dead. You’ll just have to teach me your customs for it.”

 

Ena nodded slowly, her eyes set forward. “I would appreciate it. It would be...quite a task to take on by myself.” After several moments of silence, she glanced around. “Where’s Banal’ras? He was in your room this morning, wasn’t he?”

 

“Before I came to the war room, I walked with him to the outside of Skyhold. He ran off to hunt. Now that I think about it…” Aravae turned her gaze upward, searching for the sun. “He probably won’t come back in without me there. I’m sure he prefers it out there to in here, either way.”

 

“You’re probably right, but it seems like you’re his new mom.” Ena cracked a small smile. “He sticks right with you. Even when we rode in. The others sure didn’t look like they knew what to think when they saw him.”

 

“Cullen’s expression was rather amusing.”

 

“I’m sure he was just jealous.”

 

“If Banal’ras was a mabari, maybe. I don’t think he cares for a large cat.”

 

“I suppose you’re right.” Ena looked over to Aravae, the small smile still on her lips. “Do you want to go to the tavern tonight? I could use a bit of rambunctious drinkers to take my mind off things.”

 

“I…” Aravae’s brows furrowed. “I would, but I don’t think it’s a very good idea, honestly. My being there would likely put a damper on things. I don’t think the others are ready to be around me again so soon.”

 

Ena’s lips pursed in thought. “I don’t think some of them mind so much. Besides, the majority of people there won’t even know.”

 

“Still...I really do appreciate the offer, but I don’t think I should. Not yet. I’ll give them space now so that maybe we can smooth things over before we go to the Winter Palace...assuming Solas and I are still invited?” She gave Ena a teasing grin, trying to lighten the mood. Thankfully, it seemed to work as Ena scoffed.

 

“Yes, you are. Don’t remind me about it so soon, though… I’m suppose to be doing nothing but taking lessons until we leave about how to behave, how to speak, and how to dance.” She groaned and leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “I understand why I need to, but the entire thing just seems so...unnecessary. Just come out and say what you need to say. Why do we need to paint words a pretty color?”

 

“I agree completely. Unfortunately, I also understand how this works.” Aravae’s expression became neutral as she recalled Arlathan. “When the Evanuris gathered, it was the same thing. From what I’ve heard of this Winter Palace, it sounds like the higher social games have not changed much.”

 

Ena’s eyes brightened. “Wait. So you essentially know how to play The Game? Having you help in my lessons would make it so much more tolerable.”

 

“It won’t make it any more enjoyable, I can promise you that. Who’s going to be teaching you what?”

 

“Josephine has this...whole schedule. The woman is mad, I swear.”

 

“Dedicated, surely. I know better than to interfere with whatever she has planned. How about at the end of the day, if you have other questions, you can come find me? I don’t want to step on any toes.”

 

Ena sighed. “Fine. I’ll do that.” She stood up slowly. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to the tavern?”

 

“I’m sure, but thank you, Ena.”

 

With the tone Aravae used, Ena raised an eyebrow. “It sounds like you’re implying more than just inviting you along.”

 

“Yes. Thank you for...everything. Honestly.” Aravae’s smile grew soft. “For still considering me a friend. For still trusting me. For not giving Leliana full permission to do whatever she wanted to me.”

 

Ena giggled. “I don’t wish that on anyone. I’ve said it before, lethallan, but you’ve been there for me when no one else was. You’ve taught me so much and I admire you. This is a lot to take in, but I’m handling it, one day at a time.” Both of her eyebrows lifted higher. “I would like to hear more of Arlathan, in proper detail.”

 

“Of course.” Aravae nodded her head. “You go on and have a good time.”

 

“Come by if you change your mind.”

 

“I will.”

 

Once Ena left, Aravae paused before picking her book back up. She tried to continue reading it, but for some reason, her mind felt jumbled and she could no longer focus on the words. With a frustrated grumble, she closed the book. Now broken of her concentration, she could feel the slight pang of hunger. She hadn’t eaten that day, but when she woke, her nerves were enough to make her not focus on things like eating breakfast. Then, she got swept up in a book, which was enough to make her block out just about everything else. It was starting to creep into evening. Soon, she wouldn’t have anymore light anyways. She stood, stretched, and let her hair back down before making her way towards the entrance of Skyhold. 

 

It wasn’t late enough for them to be closing the gate, so she walked through and down along the bridge. She could feel the real cold of the mountains creeping around her the further away she walked from the enchanted fortress, but she knew she wouldn’t have to tolerate it for long. Once she was at the end, she veered off towards the right, eyes searching for the dark coat of the panther against the bright white snow. She saw him off in the distance, coming closer towards her. By time he reached her, a chill crawled along her skin. She shivered and murmured, “Let’s head back, da’falon. Well...I suppose I can’t call you that for much longer. You’re growing.”

 

Indeed, the beast had grown some since she’d saved him. His wounds on his side were finally beginning to grow patches of hair back. He was filling out, looking stronger by the week. Aravae was both surprised and rather touched that he hadn’t run off back to a forest and left. It seemed that he really was growing closer to her, even occasionally demanding some affection. She, of course, caved and rubbed him whenever he wanted. She’d discovered his favorite was just scratching him on top of his head. 

 

She paid no mind to the stares she received when she walked back in with Banal’ras close at her side, though she made sure to keep her distance from the others so that they wouldn’t have to venture too closely. She figured Banal’ras was out of his element enough as it was. She didn’t want him to needlessly get too close to more shemlen than necessary.

 

They passed by the tavern, where she could hear things starting to pick up inside. The chatter carried outside from the open door. Aravae was tempted to peek inside, but in order to do that, she needed to be closer. She wasn’t willing to draw any closer. She reminded herself that she wanted her own alone time and wanted to give the inner circle some space. She passed by the tavern, keeping her distance, and made her way up the battlements and to her tower. She closed the door behind her and tossed her book down on the bed before heading out the door that led to the top, outside section of the tower. Banal’ras followed after her, picked a corner, and sat down, his tail swishing back and forth as he peered down at the people.

 

Aravae came to stand beside him, looking out over Skyhold. Below, everyone moved along as normal, no one even thinking of glancing up. She watched the guards go on their patrols. Some soldiers drilled practice in the sparring area. She saw Harritt out for a stroll, a dwarf woman at his side, waving her arms about. Aravae wasn’t sure who that was. Ena had briefly mentioned finding an arcanist who was working down in the undercroft with Harritt. Perhaps that was her, but...a dwarf working with magic? That seemed like a bit of a stretch.

 

She glanced up towards the rookery, watching a few of the ravens flying in and out, carrying messages. Her gaze lazily moved about, pausing when she spotted Bull standing on the battlements, cradling a raven in his hands. He threw his arms up, sending the raven up into the air, the bird flapping to get wind under its wings. She watched it for a moment before looking back at Bull, who suddenly looked as though a heavy weight had fallen on top of him. He leaned against the stone, his hands gripping the edge tightly. Aravae frowned. What was wrong with him? Who was he sending a letter to?

 

Her chest tightened and her stomach dropped. She felt momentarily dizzy and even stumbled backwards, clawing at the stone to steady her.

 

The Iron Bull was a Ben-Hassrath. He joined the Inquisition willingly saying he was a spy. He would send reports of the Inquisition and its actions to the Qun and would share information he received in returned.

 

Aravae and Solas had just dropped all information about who they were to the Inquisition’s highest ranking members. Bull had just sent a letter and seemed...almost guilty.

 

Had Bull just sent a report off to the Qun? Had he just informed the Qun of who was residing within the Inquisition? Had he just alerted the entire Qun to her and Solas’ existence? What would they do with that knowledge?

 

Knocking reached Aravae’s ears. Though it was soft and distant, coming from her room below, it sounded loud and right next to her head. Banal’ras’s head snapped around, looking back towards the room. With her heart thumping heavily in her chest, Aravae went back down inside to answer it. She felt the familiar aura brushing against hers, so she wasn’t surprised when she opened the door to find Solas standing on the other side. He’d had a pleasant smile, but it faded the moment he saw her expression. “Vhenan? What’s wrong? You’re pale.”

 

She gestured for him to come inside. Once the door was shut, she immediately raised a barrier to keep their words private. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. “Solas, I… I think I may have made a grave oversight.” He remained silent, but intent, waiting for her to continue. “Bull. I forgot about him being Ben-Hassrath.”

 

Solas frowned deeply. “I did consider the fact that perhaps he may report this to his superiors in the Qun. However, I feel that during his time with the Inquisition, he is beginning to question the Qun’s teaching. Information such as who we are could lead to a complete invasion and I know even he doesn’t want that.”

 

“But what if he  _ did _ ?”

 

He took hold of her hand and led her over to her bed, easing her down. “We will find out and we will deal with it.  _ Nothing _ is going to take you away from me.”

 

She forced a smile to her lips. “Yes, you’re right. Just…I haven’t met any other qunari aside from Bull. Judging by what everyone says, they sound like a ruthless force to be reckoned with. I don’t want to pull anyone into any unnecessary conflict.”

 

“I agree completely.” He gave her a reassuring kiss on the lips. “However, for now, let’s forget about everything outside of this room. We no longer have to sneak around. I would love to be able to enjoy your company.”

 

“Yes.” Her smile grew more genuine. “I would like that, too.”

 

* * *

 

“Alright, easy now, Boss…” Bull walked slowly, keeping Ena steady.

 

“I’m  _ fine _ ,” she insisted, her words thickly slurred. She swayed dangerously as she struggled to walk up the stairs leading to her room. “Don’t be such a  _ papae _ . I  _ deserved _ a night like tonight, probably  _ more _ than anyone else!”

 

“No one said anything about that,” he tutted. “Whoa, there.” He set his hand on her back as she started to lean too far backwards. He sighed and shook his head. “Alright, I can’t take it anymore. Hang on.” He lifted her off her feet with ease, cradling her near his chest as she squealed with surprise as he picked her up.

 

“Bull! Put me down! I can walk!” She squirmed in his grip, though she moaned unpleasantly and brought her hand to her head.

 

“Right, you can walk and I’m a dainty Orlaisian. Don’t you throw up on me. I will drop you.”

 

“No, no… I’m okay,” she muttered, shutting her eyes.

 

Bull grunted with a small grin, clearly not believing her. He kicked her door open with his foot, stepped through carefully so as not to bump her feet or head, and kicked it shut behind him. When he felt Ena start trembling in his arms, he paused a moment in-between steps, frowning down at her. He saw her wipe at her eyes and fell back into his rhythm of walking up the last of the steps. “...You okay?” he asked softly.

 

“I’m sorry,” she gasped. She sniffled and cleared her throat. “I was just...thinking about the Clan.” Bull lowered her down on her bed. She sat on the edge and slouched, looking at Bull as he sat down beside her. His eye was fixed on her intently, ready to listen. “After a successful hunt, we’d celebrate over the feast that night… No one really came too close to me, but the energy and watching the others drink and have fun…” She laughed wistfully, the tears still sliding down her cheeks. “I don’t understand. I hated them. I loved them. Why does it hurt so much?”

 

“They were still your family. You can fight, you can dislike each other, but it doesn’t change that fact. You may not have truly loved them, but you aren’t the kind of person to wish death on any of them. It was a horrible thing that happened and you will still feel the pain of losing them.”

 

“But why? Why did I still love them?” She wiped furiously at her eyes and cheeks, her expression blatant irritation. “From birth, my parents didn’t truly love me. They just played the part, pretending to love me, even though they believed I was cursed by Fen’harel - by  _ Solas _ ! My father was killed fighting Templars who were bothering the clan. My mother went insane, believing it was all my fault… She starved herself to death, refused to even drink. The only person who protected me was the Keeper, who ensured my grandmother tend to me. Even then, I could see the... _ hate _ in her eyes.” She pushed her bangs out of her face and leaned into her hand. “I  _ shouldn’t _ miss them. I  _ hated _ them. I don’t understand.”

 

“That’s a family,” Bull murmured. “Dysfunctional, not always loving, members fight… Regardless of how they treated you, they still made you who you are today, didn’t they? You could have turned out so differently had things been different. For what it’s worth…” He brushed his fingers across her cheek, a tender look on his face. “I quite like who you are.”

 

Ena’s cheeks, which were already rosy, darkened in color. She glanced over towards Bull, her lips slightly parted. She gazed into Bull’s eyes, her heartbeat speeding up. She wasn’t sure she had heard him quite so...gentle before. She’d definitely not recalled seeing that expression before. She wanted to speak, but the words caught in her throat. When he didn’t look away from her, she began to panic. She didn’t know what to do in a situation like this. She averted her gaze, looking down towards the floor. “Umm… Th-thank you, Bull. You’ve been...really amazing and supportive… I appreciate it.”

 

Bull chuckled, his grin shifting to one of teasing. “It’s okay, Boss. You can relax.” He stood up, heading towards the stairs. “I’ll let you get some rest. You’ll want to drink some water, or you’re gonna feel like shit in the morning. Night.” 

 

Ena opened her mouth to call after him, but he was already moving down the stairs. When she heard it open and close, she sighed heavily, laying down on her back. She gazed up at the ceiling, listening to the crackling of the fire in the hearth. She felt odd. Slightly thrilled, excited, but awkward and unsure. She felt...incredibly shy about even thinking about possibly being attracted to someone. Obviously, since the entire clan hated her, she had never been with a man. Now, here she was, her heart racing at the way that Bull had been looking at her. Her cheek felt like it was on fire where he’d touched her. The tips of her ears burned, thinking about the tone of his voice.

 

She shut her eyes and groaned, draping an arm over her eyes. She would think more about this tomorrow...when her head didn’t feel like it was splitting open and when the room wasn’t spinning and swaying around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, everyone! I would like to say first - thank you all SO much for the amazing comments you've all left for me. You are all amazing and I am so incredibly happy to have such a wonderful group that loves my writing. It truly moves me and to hear you're getting more and more excited for the next installments makes me ten times as encouraged to get these chapters written. I've brainstormed out several chapters for some big things coming and I can NOT wait to share them with you!
> 
> Just as a reminder - I do post things on my Tumblr with ideas, hints, prompts, and I give out deeper information on Aravae and Ena! Feel free to pop by any time! :)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this bit of a slower paced chapter with everyone taking time to unwind before the *dun dun dunnn* WINTER PALACE.
> 
> I will see all you lovely souls soon! <3


	28. Chapter 28

When the insistent knocking on her door woke Aravae up the next morning, she grumbled darkly, “I thought we were allowed to be relaxing while we’re here.”

 

She got up to answer it and raised a sleepy and grumpy eyebrow at Ena. The redhead seemed a bit pale and tired, but wired and alert at the same time. She glanced around behind her and looked towards the room. “I’m sorry, were you still asleep? It’s rather late in the morning. I’m between some lessons right now and I need to talk to you.”

 

It took several moments for Aravae’s mind to catch up to all the words that Ena had just rambled out. Once she processed it all, she nodded and stepped back, allowing Ena inside. Banal’ras raised his head and gazed at Ena intently, looking rather curiously at her. Aravae sat back down heavily on her bed and gestured for Ena to do the same. She ran a hand down her face and murmured, “What’s wrong?”

 

“I need advice.” When she didn’t elaborate, Aravae made a rolling gesture with her wrist, silently telling her to give out more details. Ena tapped her foot rapidly and blurted, “I think I have feelings for Bull.”

 

Aravae grunted. “Yes, I knew that already. What about it?” At Ena’s flabbergasted expression, she added, “I’ve teased you about it before. How did  _ you _ not know I knew?”

 

“I guess...because I didn’t realize it myself yet.” She proceeded to explain what happened last night. What she could remember of it, at least. She remembered Bull carrying her to her room. She couldn’t remember precisely what either of them said, but she recalled the tone he spoke in and the look he gave her. “I’m just...not sure of what to do. I don’t know how to react in these situations, because I’ve not...really...been in one before.”

 

“Bull’s rather straightforward. You’re not. If you start hinting at it, I guarantee you he’ll say something to you about it.” Aravae ran her fingers through her hair, trying to comb it without much success.

 

“But what do I  _ say _ ?”

 

Aravae couldn’t help but scoff with a slight smirk at Ena’s panicked tone. “Goodness, da’len. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make fun of you  _ now _ . I understand your uncertainty. I am actually the same way when it comes to...feelings.”

 

“You? Uncertain?” Ena groaned and held her face in her hands. “That doesn’t happen often. I’m in trouble.”

 

“No, you aren’t. Just because I react in a similar manner as you doesn’t mean I can’t give my advice.” Aravae start scratching Banal’ras on the head as he stretched and sat up, looking between the two women. “All you have to do is just tell him what you told me. If you can’t describe how you felt when you two were together last night, then just tell him directly that you think you’re getting feelings for him. I just  _ know _ that he’ll take over from there.”

 

“...I...guess. I suppose I’m just worried because he seemed hesitant last night.”

 

“You weren’t in your right frame of mind. Bull  _ can _ be a gentleman when he wants to.”

 

“Okay. I suppose you’re right.” Ena exhaled slowly. “Thank you. I feel a little bit better n-”

 

_ Knock knock knock! _

 

Ena’s eyes shot towards the door in horror as Aravae glared at it. Why was her room so popular this morning? She heard Ena sigh in defeat as she stood to answer it again. She understood why once she opened the door to see Josephine standing there. The Antivan woman glanced into the room and tutted. “I thought I might find you here, Inquisitor. Come now, we have more dancing lessons before the afternoon arrives.”

 

Aravae turned around with an amused grin. “You’re between lessons, hmm?”

 

“Josephine, this is worse than Cullen’s constant drills!” Ena protested, not moving from the bed. “I need a breather!”

 

“Nonsense. All we did this morning was practice your speech and walking. Once we have the dance lesson, we’ll break for lunch and Leliana will help me show you the proper way to eat.” Josephine’s eyes slowly slid to Aravae. Feeling the weight of her gaze on her, Aravae turned her head hesitantly, her grin fading. “Lady Aravae. I’ve heard some of Master Solas’s vague descriptions of Arlathan. It sounds like it was quite...elegant, yes?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Would you care to share details with me while I instruct the Inquisitor in dancing?”

 

“I don’t suppose there is a way out of this?”

 

“No way,” Ena muttered.

 

“I would  _ very _ much love to hear about it and compare it to Orlais’ societal gatherings! Besides, we must speak about your dress that you’ll be wearing-”

 

“ _ Dress _ ?”

 

“Excellent! I will be waiting for you both in your room, Inquisitor!” She spun around gracefully and descended down the stairs before either one could even breathe a word in protest.

 

“I told you she was mad.”

 

“You weren’t lying.”

 

“Get dressed, then. Just your casual clothes will be fine. The longer we make her wait, the worse it’ll be.”

 

“Are you sure I don’t need my armor?”

 

“It isn’t  _ that _ type of battle.”

 

Aravae grumbled and dressed, walking down with Ena, Banal’ras ever present at her side. As they walked along the battlements, they passed by several guards who gave nervous salutes as they went past. It didn’t slip Aravae’s notice that the nervous glances were directed towards her. She furrowed her brows and looked to Ena. “Other than Banal’ras, have I...done something lately?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Why do the soldiers look so terrified? They’re even looking at me, not Banal’ras.”

 

“Do they? I hadn’t entirely noticed. I don’t like how they stop and salute at me every time I walk past, so I kind of just give a friendly smile and speed past them.”

 

“I’m pretty certain they are.”

 

“Well, who knows. You seem kind of intimidating to those who don’t know you.”

 

“That’s good. That means that they will leave me alone.”

 

“That’s cheerful.”

 

As they entered the main hall, Mother Giselle rushed up to Ena, asking for a moment of her time. Though Aravae could see that Ena was calculating in her head how long she could put off going to Josephine, Ena agreed and told Aravae to go on ahead. Aravae gave Mother Giselle a polite nod before she set off towards the rear door that led to Ena’s quarters. Banal’ras went ahead of her, making quicker work of the stairs than her. Once she made it to the top, she spotted Josephine out on the balcony and made her way out there. Noticing her arrival, Josephine gave her a pleased smile. “Lady Aravae. Thank you for coming. Where is the Inquisitor?”

 

“She’ll be along in a moment. Mother Giselle needed to speak with her.”

 

“I see. Well, while we wait, shall we get started? I would love to hear more in depth about Arlathan.”

 

“Right to the point. Very well.”

 

Aravae went on to explain to her how the gatherings of the Evanuris typically went. She described the dances, the drinks, the speeches, the mingling, the attire...everything she could recall. Josephine was an attentive listener, absorbing all the new information like a sponge. It was refreshing, telling someone more about Arlathan and being so interested in it while not acting strangely around her. She went on for some time before both women realized that it was still only the two of them. Ena had not yet arrived. As if summoned by magic, the door to the room swung open and someone walked up the steps. They turned and saw not Ena, but Leliana. 

 

“Ah, Leliana!” Josephine gave a small, excited clap of her hands. “You simply  _ must _ hear what Aravae has to say about Arlathan! It sounds so splendid and grand and terribly similar to Orlais and The Game. We could draw information from this to have Ena’s dress made up quickly for her to try-”

 

“Ena just rode out of Skyhold,” Leliana interjected dryly.

 

Josephine completely froze, her smile not fading from her face yet, though she blanched. “...I’m sorry, what?”

 

“Ena. She just left with Dorian.” She waved a small piece of parchment in her hand. “She told a messenger to give this to me. She claims it’s very important and they’ll be back in just a couple of days.”

 

Josephine whipped her head over to Aravae. “Did you know about this?!”

 

“No!” Aravae held her hands up, eyes a little wide. She didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Josephine’s wrath. “I swear, she was just talking to Mother Giselle.”

 

“I spoke with the Mother. Apparently, there was a letter from Dorian’s father, but she would say no more than that.” Leliana sighed and leaned against the balcony railing, looking up at the mountains. “I don’t think she realizes how serious these lessons really are. We don’t have any time to spare in getting her ready. People should have years to try and master The Game, not weeks.”

 

Josephine blew air out of her mouth and pinched the bridge of her nose. “This isn’t good.”

 

“We’ll just have to rail her from sunrise to sunset once she returns, then continue while we’re on the road to the Winter Palace.”

 

“Yes, you’re quite right.” Josephine looked back towards Aravae with a smirk. “However, while you’re here, Lady Aravae… We can discuss your attire and how we will do your hair.”

 

“First a dress, now my hair?”

 

“You  _ must _ look presentable as an advisor to the Inquisitor. Most eyes will be on you and her, not only because of who you are, but because you are both elves. Elves in Halamshiral that aren’t servants is somewhat scandalous.”

 

“I can only assume by your tone that you’re going to love this.”

 

“Quite right. Leliana, are you going to join us? We can head back to my office and I’ll request some early lunch be brought up to us. Oh, and some tea.”

 

The Nightingale gave Aravae a wary look, but hid it away with a curve of her lips. “Very well. Lead the way, Josie.”

 

* * *

 

When Aravae finally managed to slip away from Josephine and Leliana, she fled to the rotunda. Solas was silently at work on a fresco, his back to her. He had removed his tunic and set it on his chair, leaving him in just a sleeveless undershirt. He hadn’t noticed her entrance in the room, or perhaps he was used to a small flow of people, so he didn’t pay any mind when he heard the doors open and close. Not wanting to disturb him, she went and sat down in his chair, watching him for a time. Banal’ras curled up underneath the desk. She watched the long, graceful strokes he placed on the wall, anticipating the forms they would take. She watched his lean muscles each time he lifted his arm up past shoulder height. It was both pleasurable and almost entrancing to watch. 

 

She glanced at the books he had scattered out on his desk, along with a few magical items they’d picked up in their travels that he was investigating. She peered at the items, brushing her own magical aura against theirs, studying them. The strange shards they’d come across, Solas had deduced they were a sort of key. She was curious to see how.

 

In her own pondering frame of mind, she didn’t even realize when Solas came up behind her, peering over her shoulder. He even mingled his aura with her own, but she only shifted, not paying any real attention to her surroundings. He chuckled and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Quite focused, aren’t we?”

 

She jerked and suppressed a strangled noise of surprise. She felt her cheeks flush when Solas laughed softly at her - actually  _ laughed _ . She covered her face with one of her hands in frustration. “Well, that wasn’t kind of you.”

 

“You didn’t let me know you were here,” he countered. “I only noticed when I stepped back to take a break. I even walked around the front side of the desk, but you can concentrate quite hard when you want to.” When her hand didn’t move, he lowered his voice even further. “Are you embarrassed?”

 

She shushed him and stood up from the chair, Banal’ras peering out from his spot to keep her within his sight as she took long strides to go and look at his fresco. It was coming along quite nicely. The symbol of the Inquisition had been made into the cross-guard of a sword, which was pointing down towards the floor. He had gone about adding color in the background, mainly dark colors, but a few sections mingled with the brighter tones of a piece of the fresco that had already been completed. He looked to be about just more than halfway done with the section he was working on. Frescos, she knew, took a rather long time to complete. “It’s looking very nice,” she commented.

 

“Thank you. I clearly still have much work to do to it, but it is coming along.” He raised his arm to rub a spot on his head, unable to use his hands since they were covered in paint. “I believe I will go rinse off and then… Would you be so kind as to join me for dinner?”

 

She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her lips. “Of course. Where?”

 

“The backside of Skyhold. The area past the cells.”

 

“How charming,” she teased.

 

He smirked and gave her an expression of confidence. She felt her cheeks warm again. She shook her head and walked closer towards him, glancing into his eyes through her thick lashes. He gazed back without revealing any changes. “How about in an hour?”

 

“I will see you then,” she replied softly. 

 

He gave a pleased nod, then excused himself from the rotunda, leaving his tunic behind. Aravae released a small breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, turning her attention to Banal’ras, murmuring, “I really  _ do _ feel like a da’len with her first crush.”

 

She had an hour to kill, then? She gestured for the panther to follow after her and she opened up the door leading towards Cullen’s tower, but not before she picked up his tunic. She would return it to him later. Outside, the day was rather nice, not plagued by many clouds. A stronger breeze than normal was blowing, tossing her hair in her face, but she didn’t find it unpleasant, thanks to Skyhold’s enchantments. Outside the borders of the wall, the wind would undoubtedly be biting, but inside, it felt no different than a spring breeze.

 

She almost knocked before going through the door to Cullen’s tower, but she recalled all the messengers going through there at any given time of day. Still, she opened it a little slowly, peering inside before just stepping through. It didn’t look like he was there. She urged Banal’ras through and they went in, stepping out onto the battlements off to the right, heading towards her tower. She strolled slowly, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her skin and the breeze through her hair. Until it started to blow profusely, tangling her long, already messy locks. She grabbed it and tucked it down into her shirt. She’d deal with it after while, but she didn’t have to just let it get worse.

 

When she heard the hurried sound of approaching footsteps from behind, she turned her head to look, her chest tightening. “Hey, Saar. How’s it going?” It was none other than The Iron Bull, jogging to walk on her free side. Banal’ras remained close to Aravae, but stared at the qunari with caution. 

 

“Good afternoon, Bull. Can I help you?” she asked after a moment, collecting her thoughts, though trying not to focus on what she and Solas had discussed the evening before.

 

“Yeah, actually, I had a quick question.” With a rather abashed gesture of rubbing the back of his neck, Bull cleared his throat. “Have you seen the Boss around today? I haven’t seen her since this morning.”

 

“The only thing I know,” she said with a slightly irritated tone, “is she apparently rode off with Dorian earlier, leaving me to fend off the Ambassador and the Nightingale by myself. Wherever they went, they won’t be back for a couple of days.”

 

His hand froze on the back of his neck and Aravae could see the physical tension he had. He took a moment to break away from his stance, though he continued walking slowly at her side. “Ah, damn. Well, that explains that. Thanks.”

 

“Bull, I have a quick question for you, as well,” she blurted once she thought he may go ahead and take his leave. He grunted and raised an eyebrow at her. Her expression hardened and she narrowed her eyes at him, her hands involuntarily clenching into fists. “Can I trust you?” she asked, hoping he would feel the weight of her question.

 

“Of course you can,” he replied without batting an eye. The fact that he responded so quickly made Aravae even more uneasy, but she could feel the genuinity behind his words. He broke the moment with a sly grin. “Here, I’ll share this! Did you know you’ve got a nickname? Well, I call it a nickname, but it may as well be a title.”

 

To say that this random little fact stunned Aravae was underwhelming. She actually stopped walking in order to try and comprehend his words. He stopped as well, a few steps ahead of her, the lopsided grin still in place. “What...do you mean?” she demanded. “Nickname? Title?”

 

“Yeah, I heard about it last night in the tavern! Krem was chatting up this pretty broad, turns out she’s a soldier. They were hitting the drinks pretty hard and they got to talking. She mentioned how you apparently scare the shit out of the soldiers.” Bull actually threw his head back and started laughing. “I mean, you  _ can _ be intimidating as hell, even to me, but… From the sounds of it, they’re so nervous around you that they’ve given you a title to be referenced by. Since you’re so hush hush anyways, I guess they don’t really know your name? Don’t give me that look! I’m just guessing! Anyways, they’re calling you The Witch of Storms.” He waggled his fingers to give it a more dramatic effect, though his tone was clearly dripping with sarcasm. “Word is you’re a witch, you have a familiar,” he pointed to Banal’ras, “and you can create entire thunderstorms with your magic.”

 

“That’s...ridiculous,” she choked out.

 

“It sounds like one of the scouts that saw you fight from a distance exaggerated what they saw when they watched your magic, but hey.” He gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “It sounds pretty badass to me. Guess the elves have another way of saying it. I heard Dalish spout something, but I didn’t catch it.”

 

Aravae did a quick translation in her head. “The closest thing would be Era’tarasyl’nin, or ‘mage that makes the sky angry’.”

 

Bull gave a low, impressed whistle. “Wow, Saar. That’s pretty neat if you ask me.”

 

“You’re only saying that because you don’t have any floating around.”

 

“I don’t need any.” He winked his eye. “I’m The Iron  _ fucking _ Bull.”

 

She grunted in response, not sure how to feel about the title. It would explain why she’d seen the looks on the soldiers’ faces earlier. Still, she’d barely been with Banal’ras here at Skyhold for three full days! How had word already gotten around like that? Were things in the barracks  _ that _ dull? It wasn’t the worst thing to be called, by far, but still… It drew attention to her. She didn’t like that.

 

“Well, anyways, I won’t keep you...from whatever you were doing. Thanks again.” He walked past her, back the way he’d come.

 

“Bull.”

 

He came to a halt. “Hmm?”

 

Aravae shifted just enough to look at him, her eyes dark and dangerous. “If you hurt her, I won’t hold back.”

 

Bull gazed back at her in understanding. He cracked a soft smile and nodded. “I’ll hold you to that, Aravae.”

 

She gave her own silent nod before heading on down the battlements, the two parting ways. In the heat of the moment, she’d forgotten all about the possibility of him sending a full report off to the Qun. He’d looked her in the eye and said he could be trusted. She truly hoped so, but it didn’t alleviate the worried sensation in her gut.

 

The rest of the way back to her quarters was uneventful, thankfully. She closed the door behind her and leaned her back against it. Banal’ras, apparently not wanting to be inside, went and stood at the door leading to the top of the tower. She went and swung it open for him, the panther padding silently up the remaining stairs. Aravae, on the other hand, left it open and went to sit on her bed, reaching for the comb she had, starting to work through the tangles. Once she’d finally managed to unraveling all the knots, she picked up the hand mirror she had, staring at herself for a short time, mostly eyeing the scar on her cheek. She set the mirror back down and tugged her three-quarter sleeve up on her arm, analyzing the scars she had from the bear swipe. She sighed lightly and mumbled, “You sure have been careless for some time, Aravae.”

 

She reached up on the right side of her head and parted some hair away, setting a braid amongst the rest of her loose hair. Once she tied it off, she then tossed her hair up in a high, but messy, ponytail, leaving her bangs loose to frame her face. She nearly scoffed at herself. Here she was, straightening up her appearance and worrying about her flaws. As though she hadn’t known Solas for...so many years. She was being silly.

 

She wiled away the rest of her time finishing up the book she’d been reading while sitting out on top of the tower with Banal’ras, one hand lazily stroking his coat. She had just enough time, too. She closed the book and sighed lightly, tilting her head up to look at the sun, which was sinking lower in the sky. Sunset wouldn’t be far off. She knew well enough that Solas had suggested they meet in that location because they would be able to watch the sunset with the mountains in front. She looked to Banal’ras and asked, “Are you coming or staying here?”

 

The panther tilted his head, his eyes staring at her. She could see that he was trying to interpret the meaning of her words, but he looked away, staring up towards the sky. She gave a small shrug and stood up. He didn’t follow. It was a little surprising to her, but she figured he must be comfortable. Or maybe, secretly, even the beast didn’t want to run the risk of getting trapped with Josephine and Leliana for the majority of the evening, too. The two women had tried time and again to approach him, but he kept backing up out of reach. Leliana left it along quickly enough, but Josephine seemed to be taking the reaction personally, being persistent until the very end.

 

She made sure to grab Solas’ tunic, then walked through her door, heading down out of the tower, taking long strides with purpose. She passed by Blackwall on the stairs of the battlements. She gave him a polite nod, which he returned with a muttered, “My Lady.” His eyes averted from hers quickly as he pressed on his way. She tried not to let that bother her.

 

She stepped through the door leading down to the prison cells, receiving curious looks from the guards that were posted there. She didn’t humor them with an explanation on why she was there. It was none of their business, after all. She made her way to the rear, outside section of the prison and tiptoed along the crumbling edge, around to the backside. What she saw stunned her a little.

 

Solas had set out a blanket for them to sit on. Helping to weigh the blanket down in each corner was a plate of food, all of which was still steaming. Solas himself was standing, leaning against the wall, a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. He was in fresh clothes, though he still only wore a sleeveless shirt. She could smell how clean he was and the absence of paint. He gave her a smile and gestured for her to come and sit. She did so, making sure to not shift any of the plates around. When he sat down beside her, he offered her a glass and popped open the cork on the wine. As he began to fill her glass, she inquired, “I’m sorry, were you waiting long?”

 

“Not at all,” he assured her. 

 

“Good. Oh.” She offered out his long sleeved tunic to him. “Here. You left it in the rotunda.”

 

“So I did. Thank you.” He accepted it from her, but sat it behind him. He poured himself a glass of the wine and set the bottle down carefully. He raised the glass of red wine and Aravae brought hers up to his, the glasses clinking together musically.

 

“What is this occasion?” Aravae inquired after taking a sip of the wine. It was pleasantly sweet, though not overly so. 

 

“I need to have an occasion to invite you to dine with me?” 

 

“No, I was just curious.”

 

He chuckled. “I see. No, there is no special occasion. I just thought I would invite the woman I love to come and watch the sunset with me while we just enjoy each other’s company.” He smiled tenderly at the light flush Aravae’s cheeks and ears took on. “You put your hair up differently,” he observed.

 

“I did.”

 

“Any particular reason why?”

 

“I wanted to.”

 

“I see. Keep your secrets.”

 

She shifted her head towards him indignantly. “I just  _ felt _ like it-”

 

With a wicked grin, Solas leaned in quickly, pressing his lips against hers to silence her. She made a small, muffled noise of startlement, but she quickly relaxed, kissing him in return, tasting the wine on his lips. He broke the kiss, leaning back a short distance, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’ve been waiting to do that all day.”

 

Aravae took a moment to take in a breath of air and calm her pounding heart. “Is that so? Well, you don’t always have to wait around for it, you know.”

 

“Oh?” Solas scooted closer to her, their thighs pushing against each other. The touch sent a jolt up Aravae’s leg. “And here I thought you wouldn’t appreciate being affectionate in front of others.”

 

“It  _ is _ preferably a private thing,” she agreed, keeping her voice even. “In fact, I apparently now have a reputation to uphold.” When he furrowed his brows quizzically, she informed him of what Bull had told her. She watched as his confusion melted away into amusement. She finally huffed, her lips turning downward. “It’s not funny.”

 

“I’m sorry. Your reaction is what is funny.” He reached around behind him and offered up a plate of fruits. “Forgive me?”

 

“Hmm.” She tilted her head away to look towards the sky, where the colors were beginning to form, though her teasing tone didn’t quite match her serious expression. “I think it’ll take more than that for me to forgive you.”

 

He set his glass down and picked up a plump strawberry, holding it up high, at the level of her mouth, but not putting it closer. She eyed it, but set her gaze forward again, fighting off the urge to smile at his pleading expression. When she didn’t respond, he pressed the strawberry to her pursed lips. Though her heart drummed in her chest, she managed to keep her face neutral. She turned her head back towards him, Solas keeping the strawberry gently against her lips. Aravae parted them and took hold of it with her teeth, biting down on it slowly. She noted how Solas’ expression shifted fluidly to focus, watching her every move. She tilted her head back so that the juices wouldn’t run down her chin and finished chewing the bite. When she looked back at him, she could see how his gaze had darkened ever so slightly. She couldn’t fight it any longer. She let the smile grace her lips as she held out her hand. With an arched eyebrow, Solas handed her the remainder of the strawberry.

 

“ _ Now _ I forgive you,” she said, her tone slightly sultry. If he was going to tease her, she could do the same. He didn’t reply, instead staring at her with such intensity that it made her concerned. “What is it?”

 

He set the plate down and brought a hand up to cup her cheek, rubbing his thumb along her skin. His gaze softened as his eyes traced across every part of her face. He leaned in closer. Aravae allowed her eyes to slide shut once their lips met again, Solas giving her a much slower, passionate kiss. He pulled away just to give himself room to whisper, “You are...more than I could have ever wished for. You are radiant, strong, steadfast… You are just...the most amazing woman I have ever known.”

 

She cracked her eyes open to look into the depths of his stormy blue eyes. She felt incredibly touched by his words, but anything she wanted to respond with died in her throat. She felt as if there was nothing she could say that could return his kindness. Instead, she pressed against him again sweetly, hoping to convey her feelings to him with her actions. He took the wine glass from her hand and set it behind him with his. As their hands slowly roamed each other, the sunset continued on without their attention, the sky beautiful shades of red, orange, gold, and purple, and their food grew cold, going untouched for some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy, y'all got a bit of fluff in this chapter. Aren't you lucky, haha? 
> 
> A special thanks to geeky-jez on Tumblr: geeky-jez.tumblr.com for helping me with the elvhen translation for Aravae's new title! I am shite at things like that on my own. I can make up my own words all day, but translate? Nah, man.
> 
> I promise I'm not dragging out Ena and Bull's moment! ...Much. She does need time to think things over and who better to give more relationship advice than the dramatic Dorian?!
> 
> Thank you all so much for everything! I will see you all soon! :)


	29. Chapter 29

When Ena and Dorian returned a couple of days later, as promised, Josephine and Leliana descended their wrath upon the Inquisitor and immediately whisked her away, not even giving her an opportunity to bathe. Aravae saw a clouded expression on Dorian’s face just before he slipped away. Once she had a moment to breathe, Aravae would ask Ena what had happened. Clearly, it hadn’t been anything good.

 

Once the Ambassador and Nightingale had exhausted their raging lectures, they dove into their lessons. They had food brought to where they were located, Josephine had a seamstress taking Ena’s measurements while they spoke, and poor Commander Cullen was dragged in when they started the dance lesson. Aravae and Solas had also been summoned. Apparently, Leliana and Josephine had been impressed with Aravae’s knowledge and wanted her and Solas to assist with Ena’s preparation. As much as Solas didn’t want to, he knew that the two of them weren’t exactly in a position to just politely decline.

 

They were busy the next several days from sunup to sundown. They tended to regular Inquisition business, but the moment that was done, they were in lessons. Though Aravae could see she wanted to, Ena didn’t complain. She grinned and beared everything they threw at her, including putting her into the dress that was being made at a rapid pace several times, ensuring that everything was just right. Aravae, too, was forced to try on the dress Josephine had designed. As much as she didn’t care for wearing dresses, she had to admit that it was rather tasteful. When they began to break out the powders and lipsticks, she attempted to flee, but Josephine wouldn’t hear the end of it. She sat unwillingly in a chair - at least she’d managed to let them do it in the privacy of her room - and let them paint on her face. Once they finished, admiring their work, Ena made a face that was a mixture of bewilderment and impressed. Aravae slowly picked up the mirror to look, scared of what she would see.

 

Again, she was surprised. It seemed that the two women had been attacking her face for quite some time, but she really didn’t look too entirely different. They’d given her eyes a dark outline, dusted with dark green eyeshadow that complimented her eyes. Her lips were painted a dark red and her face had been powdered, though it was still very true to her natural, lightly tanned skin tone. Again, she didn’t want to admit she liked it. Her face felt...strange. Heavy. Restricted. But at the same time, her appearance made her feel much more feminine and powerful. She could use her wiles when a situation called for it, but looking like this, coupled with the dress she’d be wearing? She felt like she could command an entire room. When she realized Josephine and Leliana were staring with barely contained anticipation, Aravae cleared her throat, told them she liked it, but she could do without the powdering all over her face. When the two women cackled victoriously, it only made her more concerned.

 

Over the course of the following days, Vivienne and Dorian had also been present to help Ena out. Dorian was a bit overly cheerful, but Aravae didn’t push any questions on him. Ena had briefly explained that he was coming to terms with patching things up with his father, but couldn’t quite forgive him for reasons that had occurred in his past. Still, he was poking fun at Aravae and scolding Ena when she didn’t do something right. Things with him felt relatively normal.

 

Vivienne was a different story. She was cold towards Aravae and Solas, practically avoiding looking or speaking to them all together. She would cast sideway glances at them, silently calculating every move they made, every word they said. Again, neither elvhen pushed the woman. Finally, she took Aravae aside and spoke with her for a short time. She said that while she couldn’t trust either one of them too quickly again, she could see that everything they were doing - Aravae at the least - was to help Ena and the Inquisition, which was the reason any of them were there. She would be civil with them, but she wouldn’t hesitate to stand in the way if she had even the slightest suspicion of their loyalties shifting. Aravae implored her to. Once that was out of the way, it at least made the lessons more tolerable.

 

As if they knew his intentions, every time The Iron Bull came around to try and ask for a few minutes alone with Ena, he was all but chased from the room by Leliana. Likewise, any time Ena tried to slip away, one of them would block her path. Then, there was a strict order to not let anyone into her chambers at night so that she could rest. Ena was clearly conflicted about their backhanded kindnesses. Aravae felt a little sympathy for them.

 

They sat in the rotunda one of the final nights at Skyhold before they were to leave to head for the Winter Palace, sipping warm drinks and enjoying small desserts sent up from the kitchen. Solas was working on his fresco again. How he managed to do it with all the distractions and conversations was beyond Aravae. She also found it distracting to watch him, so she shifted to have her back to him. He occasionally came by seeking a sweet, which she handed to him. Before he’d started painting that evening, he’d looped his wolf jawbone around her neck, saying he didn’t want it to get in his way. While she sat there in a cushioned chair brought in by Josephine’s people, her fingers trailed along it mindlessly. Banal’ras was sitting tall beside her, observing everyone.

 

“Look at him,” Josephine commented. “He’s always by your side.”

 

“I guess that really gives your nickname credibility, Lady Witch of Storms.” Leliana smirked teasingly before taking a sip of her drink.

 

Aravae grumbled, muttering something incomprehensible. Ena couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You really hate that, don’t you?”

 

“It’s unnecessary and brings more attention to me. I don’t like that.”

 

“Regardless of your feelings, the title is yours now. You should own it, wear it,” Josephine pointed the small spoon she was using to stir her drink at Aravae, “become an even more intimidating figure than you already are.”

 

“She has an excellent point.” Vivienne nodded in agreement. “If you do not like it, others will take notice and use it as a brand of insult. If you bear it as yours, it becomes like armor.”

 

“Era’tarasyl’nin. I like it. At least it’s elvish and not ‘Inquisitor’,” Ena murmured.

 

Leliana arched an amused eyebrow. “Come now, _Inquisitor_ , it’s not that bad.”

 

At Ena’s childish act of sticking her tongue out at Leliana, the women giggled softly. There was a quick moment of silence before Josephine said, “Well, I brought up Banal’ras because I was just thinking that he won’t like the separation much.”

 

“Separation?” Aravae echoed with confusion.

 

“Yes? When we leave for the Winter Palace. He...cannot come with us. Even just a small animal running about an event such as the masquerade is incredibly unprofessional. To have something as large as Banal’ras…” Josephine gestured at the panther. “I mean...there is just no way we could get away with anything like that.”

 

“Though you must admit that the faces would be well worth it,” Leliana pointed out, her eyes sparkling.

 

Aravae gave a slight shrug and looked towards Banal’ras. He looked back at her, waiting a moment before nudging her arm, demanding a head scratch. “Though he is taken with me, he is still a wild animal. He doesn’t take commands. Do _you_ want to be the one to order him to stay here?”

 

As if he could understand the words being spoken, Banal’ras turned his sharp gaze to Josephine. The Ambassador gaped and looked to Leliana for help. The Spymaster tapped a finger on her chin. Josephine gasped, “Leliana, you can’t be seriously considering this. It would _not_ look good for the Inquisition!”

 

Vivienne gave a vigorous shake of her head. “No, absolutely not. If you say he will not take orders, how would you even expect him to behave in the palace?”

 

Aravae reached for her cup with her free hand, taking a small sip. “I understand what you’re saying and I don’t disagree. I am merely pointing out that he would not take it well. Besides, were you not just the ones telling me to ‘own my title’? What sort of witch would I be if my familiar was not with me?”

 

Josephine paled, looking positively horrified, as Leliana glanced towards her with a smirk. Ena’s eyebrows slowly raised, curious to see what was going to be said.

 

* * *

 

All the whispers floating in the air around Aravae didn’t make her falter a single step. She walked tall, her head held high, her eyes set forward, and Banal’ras striding calmly at her side, though he glanced around at all the people. Needless to say, their ticket into the masquerade, Gaspard, had been quite shocked to see the beast, but when Ena explained the situation, a rather sly smirk appeared on the man’s face. It gave Aravae an unsettling feeling in her stomach, but she smiled in return to him. She just hoped Josephine wouldn’t pass out from horror. Pulling this off wouldn’t be easy and she was surprised that Leliana managed to make Josephine even consider the possibility of bringing Banal’ras.

 

Vivienne was still certain that they would be buried by the Orlesians by the end of the night. She was likely not wrong, but if Aravae played her cards right, their presence could also be quite rewarding.

 

The music in the air. The smell of sweet wine. The bright colors. The evening sky. The dark surroundings lit with torches and braziers. The gossip. Out of all things to bring forth longing feelings, Aravae was not counting on it being this party. It reminded her of Arlathan and their gatherings that would last for days or even weeks. Time flew by when it wasn’t a relative concern.

 

Even her dress was made by the seamstresses with Arlathan influence. Granted, the make or material wasn’t as grand as it would have been back then, but it was still a lovely dress. It was white with golden trim. From the waist up, it was more form-fitting than she was used to, hugging her slight curves. It was a halter top, leaving her shoulders and her arms bare. Around both of her upper arms, there was paint upon her skin, wrapping around several times as though they were arm bangles. One side was white, the other was golden. The skirt of the dress was loose and fluttered with her movements, nearly covering the contrasting black ankle boots that she was wearing. She’d managed to convince Josephine to not make her wear heels. She was much taller than the average female elf, so she didn’t need to appear any more outlandish than she already did. Her hair was set back in an elaborate braid, her wavy bangs left free to frame her face, and silver hairpieces that looked like leaves were placed intricately throughout the braid. Josephine and Leliana had set the small amount of makeup on her face, thankfully listening to her wishes about wearing _no_ powder.

 

Through patience and coaxing, Aravae had been given a mixture of thick liquids that were commonly put on mabaris for war paint. Some gold, some white. Though he fussed throughout the process, Aravae had managed to put some on Banal’ras, echoing the look of what was on her arms. With the suggestions of Leliana and Vivienne, she’d painted flowing, long lines on his silky black coat, creating an identical design on both sides to help hide the evidence of his scar. Once she’d finished, he looked just as regal as Aravae felt. No one would doubt that he was her ‘familiar’.

 

It was all about appearances, after all, wasn’t it?

 

For Ena, they’d left her hair down naturally, though they pinned up the right side with a jeweled hairclip. She had darker eyeshadow to accent the vibrancy of her golden eyes, and a fiery red lipstick. Her dress was black with shimmering silver beading on it, making it look like the midnight sky. It was an off-shoulder with a folded shawl neckline. The bodice was also a little form fitting, but the fold fell enough to cover her chest, so Ena didn’t mind quite as much. The material of her dress was a little thicker, so it didn’t flow nearly as much as the skirt of Aravae’s dress. Ena’s reached down to just below her knees. On her feet were silver slippers with just a small heel. She didn’t have enough time to practice in any shoes that Leliana somehow procured that had anything larger than an inch tall heel.

 

Once they entered into the ballroom, falling in line to be announced and introduced to Empress Celene, Aravae wished she could melt into the shadows. She disliked all the eyes that she could feel upon them, even though it was hard to tell where anyone was looking thanks to their masks. She rested a hand on Banal’ras’ shoulders as they moved forward, the panther thankfully remaining right with her. She steeled her nerves. She’d been prepared ahead of time to expect any number of backhanded compliments and the like due to the nature of her being an elf. She had a feeling it was about to begin.

 

“And now introducing,” a man’s voice called out, echoing in the grand room, “Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons.” The Grand Duke gave a bow to the people, a sneer on his lips. Clearly, he was already thoroughly enjoying himself. “Accompanying him… Lady Inquisitor Lavellan, Champion of the blessed Andraste herself.”

 

Ena stepped forward, her arm looped through Cullen’s as he escorted her. They broke apart to curtsy and bow before looping arms again, taking slow strides down the stairs. Cullen was announced along with her. Aravae and Banal’ras fell in line between Leliana and Josephine, the three women exchanging a quick glance before their names started to be announced. “Lady Leliana, Nightingale of the Imperial Court. Veteran of the Fifth Blight. Seneschal of the Inquisition and Left Hand of the Divine. Lady Josephine Cherette Montilyet of Antiva City, Ambassador of the Inquisition. Lady Aravae, loyal servant and advisor to the Inquisitor and witch of the Inquisition.”

 

Her eye ticked. It could have been worse. She kept her head high and eyes forward as they took their slow steps towards the Empress. When Aravae heard the words ‘serving man’ for Solas, she wanted to whirl around in fury, but she bit the inside of her lip. The others hadn’t been lying. These Orlesians apparently didn’t care what was said about elves or when they said it. She just needed to remember to participate in their little Game. She needed to play to win it. She needed to be...charming.

 

They all took their turns bowing to Celene, greeting her and thanking her for allowing them to attend her masquerade. She could see how the shemlen woman’s eyes passed over Banal’ras and herself skeptically, but the woman’s friendly smile never faltered. She offered for them to indulge themselves and enjoy the festivities. Ena assured her with a smile of her own that they would do so.

 

The moment they finished with their pleasantries, the group scattered out to where they could cover ground and the entirety of the party. Everyone had their eyes and ears peeled for any signs of danger. They had an assassin to look out for. Still, they couldn’t act suspicious. They accepted snacks on serving trays as they passed by and took a drink to keep their hands occupied to appear as though they were truly mingling. As much as Aravae wanted to stick near Solas and see how he behaved with this environment - if he would slip into any old habits -, she couldn’t. He’d managed to be dressed a little less...flashy than the women had. He was wearing a militaristic uniform of black and silver, which he looked completely suited for, in Aravae’s eyes. He wore it with an air of authority, but to these loathsome Orlesians, they likely didn’t see past his ears as a servant. The same for her, for that matter.

 

She remained in the ballroom, enjoying the music, but she veered off to stand near one of the balcony doorways, enjoying the gentle breeze and fresh air that was coming in. Banal’ras kept his eyes locked on the room, eyeing all of the people, but he sat dutifully at her side. She knew that he was likely just sticking so close to her because of how out of his element he was, but Aravae was grateful for him doing so. It wasn’t like she could just sit him down and have a conversation on how they needed to act together in order to carry out their part.

 

When the first couple of women in masks approached her, she groaned internally. Externally, she offered a friendly grin and tilted her head slightly to the side when the women introduced themselves and began asking questions. Aravae patiently answered each question. Naturally, the one came up she knew she would hear several times that evening: Could they touch the panther? She gave them an apologetic expression. “I’m so sorry, my ladies, but he is guarded by a spell of mine that was forged when we made a contract. None but I may willingly touch him.”

 

One of the women squealed with excitement. “A spell! How terrifying! What will it do, my lady?”

 

“I am afraid it would cause you to go mad.” Aravae’s tone turned slightly regretful. “After all, a familiar is quite precious. It wouldn’t do for him to fall into an enemy's hands, wouldn’t you say?”

 

It all came flowing back to her as though she had just done this yesterday. The flowery words, the pleasantries, the backstabbing lying. The masks weren’t even new, only the fact that they were physical was. She was well practiced at keeping her true motives and feelings hidden away, though probably not nearly as well as Solas.

 

She was glad each time she could take a breath when others speaking to her would take their leave. She wasn’t standing far away from Josephine, who shot a look towards her every once in awhile, as if to silently ask if Aravae was okay. She returned with a small nod. Her eyes kept sweeping the room, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That was part of the issue with the masks covering their true faces - if someone were to plainly look out of sight, there wasn’t any easy way to tell. All the clothes were so large and flowing, it wouldn’t be hard for someone to hide a dagger up their sleeve. At least from where she was, Aravae wasn’t out of range of Celene. If she needed to summon a quick barrier, she could.

 

Ena had been making her rounds when she finally came over to Aravae. Without even needing to say a word, they swept out onto the balcony, where it was much quieter, cooler, and private. Banal’ras stood behind them, looking back towards the ballroom and all the chaos. Ena sighed heavily, but quietly, leaning forward on the railing. “I was hoping it’d be easier than this after all. Come, share a few words, find the assassin, go home.”

 

“If only it were,” Aravae replied. “The night is young yet.”

 

“You seem to be quite popular.”

 

“Ugh. Unfortunately.”

 

Ena giggled. “Regretting bringing Banal’ras after all?”

 

“I could have at least passed for a servant like Solas, then no one would have given me a second thought.” Aravae glanced back at the panther, who looked towards her with a rather innocent expression. “Still, I don’t think trying to get him to stay at Skyhold or even outside of the limits of the city would have gone over well.”

 

“Yes, you’re right.” Ena pushed herself away from the railing to stand up straight. “Well, you haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary?”

 

“Nothing yet. It’ll be hard to find someone in this crowd.”

 

“I agree…” Ena glanced around. The balcony was empty, other than them. “That is why I’m doing a little bit of sneaking around. Thankfully, it isn’t too hard to climb in this dress.”

 

Aravae couldn’t help but smirk a little. “Be careful. I’ll let you know if I see something.”

 

“Alright. I’m off. Oh, Leliana wanted me to pass something along, actually. She said that this area is well covered by Josephine, herself, and Cullen, so if you wanted to wander a bit, go ahead. Maybe you’ll even be able to pick up on something I couldn’t.”

 

“Hmm. Okay.”

 

The two gave a quick nod to each other and Ena returned to the ballroom before quickly being stopped by someone. From the few interactions she’d seen, it appeared Ena was doing well in playing her part. She didn’t stumble when she walked, her smiles appeared genuine, and Aravae could only imagine her words were well chosen. After waiting a moment, she and Banal’ras made their way back inside, strolling along the edge that overlooked the dance floor. Ena had been requested, apparently, for she was swaying effortlessly with the woman that Aravae recalled as the Grand Duchess...Florianne? That sounded right. If nothing else, Ena had picked up their dress lessons very quickly. She was talented at that, after all.

 

Aravae kept a watchful eye on her as the dance continued, uncomfortable with her being more in the open. Many of the other guests were watching and whispering, but no one was moving suspiciously. Aravae took her leave of the ballroom, though she still had to stop several times to speak with curious individuals, flashing them all friendly, but mysterious, smiles. Once she went through the doors, she was relieved to find that there was more breathing room. There were still numerous people, but they were not crammed together like they were in the ballroom. She set off, Banal’ras remaining with her, to wander the halls.

 

She eyed the decorations and statues. It all seemed a touch flashier than what she was used to, but if there was one thing people in power enjoyed, it was celebrating themselves and their accomplishments. She gave a friendly nod to the other inner circle members she passed by, which they all thankfully returned. The journey to the Winter Palace hadn’t been too terribly awkward, thankfully. Though she could still tell a couple of them were uncomfortable, they were at least able to act civil and a bit more naturally than they had been. They’d gotten into a single skirmish along the way, which everybody reacted naturally. The front line fighters left the support and barriers to the mages without a second thought. Aravae had even stopped a red Templar from potentially stabbing Cassandra in her side, which the warrior had gone out of her way to thank Aravae for once the battle had ended.

 

She wandered down a slightly darker hallway and spotted Solas. He was leaning back against the wall, a glass of wine in his hands, and a hint of a smirk upon his lips. His eyes were constantly flitting about, looking at just about anybody that moved. When he spotted Aravae and Banal’ras approaching, he gave them a quick bow. “Ah, Lady Era’tarasyl’nin. A pleasure.”

 

She was tempted to roll her eyes at him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The position that he was standing in, the expression on his face, even the wine glass in his hand...all of it was terribly nostalgic, bringing forth memories to her first meeting with Rienmar. However, Solas had no way of knowing that. She attempted to brush the memory aside, not wanting to feel guilty about the present, and came to stand beside him. “You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

 

“I _do_ adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger, and sex that permeates these events,” he admitted. His tone and the slight way he had emphasized the word ‘sex’ made Aravae’s stomach flutter. “Are you not enjoying yourself?”

 

“I feel as though we’ve switched roles,” she said sourly. “Though I feel like I still am receiving more attention than you had, since most of the population was too scared to speak to you unless someone was challenging you.”

 

He chuckled with an ounce of embarrassment. “Ah, yes. I was all too eager to accept those challenges. I would at least like to think that I have calmed down some since then.”

 

“Hmm. Perhaps it was the hair,” she teased.

 

He arched an eyebrow at her. “Perhaps so. I _do_ feel less...weighed down.”

 

“That must be some good wine for _you_ to be making jokes.” Aravae glanced into his cup. “Are the servants giving you better stuff?”

 

“They’re certainly eager to keep my glass full, likely since they believe I am a servant as well.” He took a sip, his eyes twinkling. “I suppose we truly have switched roles for tonight.”

 

She shook her head and laughed softly. She felt so much more relaxed in this atmosphere that she felt more like herself than she had...in a very long time. It was almost a little alarming, considering the reason that they were there for. She stayed and spoke with Solas for just a little longer before spotting Bull down the hallway, giving her a subtle look before strolling out to the nearest balcony. She could tell he wanted to talk. Though she loathed to, she excused herself from Solas and he gave her a rather flirtatious smile as she walked away. Thankfully, though she said hello to a couple of people she walked by, none stopped her as she walked out to join Bull on the balcony, standing on his right side. “Yes?”

 

He gave her an unamused look. “I know that you...sneaky women were shooing me off to have a good laugh at me this last week, but I just figured I’d be nice and share with you, since you’re practically her family anyways…”

 

“Sneaky is perhaps the nicest thing you could have called us.”

 

He grunted. “If you’re being snarky, you need to be cut off for the night. Anyways, I’m going to talk to Ena tonight after everything is done.”

 

“I’m not her mother, Bull. You don’t need my permission or blessing or anything like that. Ena is a grown woman that can make her own decisions. As are you. I made my promise and you agreed to it.”

 

“I know, I just…” He cleared his throat. “Has she...said anything? Since she got back from her little outing with the Vint? I haven’t, you know, _been able to talk to her_...at all.”

 

“I tried asking about it once or twice, but she veered off from it rather quickly.” She shrugged, then gave Bull a rather bemused look. “Wait. Are you...nervous?”

 

He scoffed. “Right.”

 

“You _are_.”

 

“Aren’t you patrolling, Witch? Come on. We aren’t here for fun.”

 

Aravae grinned and shook her head as Bull went on ahead of her back inside. She took a moment, enjoying the fresh air and lack of people once again before she continued along. She listened to what gossip she could, not recognizing the majority of names being spoken, but trying to piece things together in case it became important later. She’d been speaking with a couple of men and a woman when she spotted Cole lurking in a nearby corner, when she knew for a fact he hadn’t been there a moment ago. He was looking at her intently, with such a gaze that she knew instantly something had to be up. She gave a polite smile to the others and excused herself. Once she was within range for Cole to whisper, he said, “Ena and some of the others have found something. Ena wanted me to ask you for you and Solas to go back to the ballroom to keep the Empress safe. I will go, too. No one will see me. I’ll stay close.”

 

“I’ll let him know. Are the others safe? Do you know?”

 

“Quiet, too quiet, no other people around, a bloodied knife, he’s there, then he’s not, he’s up above… Screaming, secret plots, but who is lying?”

 

His riddled words didn’t do much to ease Aravae’s mind, but with others nearby to help, she knew Ena would be okay. Cole vanished silently, as he did, and Aravae immediately began to move. She tried not to appear in a hurry, but she put purpose behind her steps. She passed by Solas, giving him a look of urgency. Thankfully, no words were needed as he fell in step beside her, all indications of him enjoying the party gone in an instant.

 

They entered the ballroom and split, Aravae going along the left side of the dance floor and Solas going to the right. Aravae could see Leliana and Josephine were both standing a little closer to the back of the room, closer to Empress Celene, but their expressions and body language betrayed nothing at all. The Empress was speaking with three women, who wore the same mask as her - handmaidens, most likely. Currently, it looked like no one of suspicion was making their way towards her. Aravae went up to Josephine, a little startled by the small squeal that came from the women she was speaking with. With a heavy and mildly irritated sigh, Josephine introduced her as Yvette, her younger sister. Aravae greeted her and the three women engaged in conversation while Aravae kept her wits about her, waiting for a change in the room.

 

Something she found a little odd was the reappearance of the Grand Duchess. Though she walked with grace, head held high, Aravae could see a few small beads of sweat on her neck. Florianne wiped them away with a quick gesture of her hand, then went to stand by Celene. She glanced towards Solas on the other side of the room and he gave her a knowing gaze. Something didn’t feel right. The hairs on the back of Aravae’s neck stood upright when she heard Cole’s voice murmur in her ear, “Her.”

 

Aravae pardoned herself and quickly moved towards Florianne. Seeing her approach, the Grand Duchess turned to her with a welcoming smile, though her voice sounded rather strained. “May I help you?”

 

“I was hoping I might steal a moment of your time, Grand Duchess. We haven’t yet had an opportunity to speak this evening,” Aravae said pleasantly.

 

“Ah, I must beg your forgiveness, my lady, but Empress Celene is about to begin her speech and I must be present at her side. Perhaps afterwards?”

 

Aravae fought against the urge to grit her teeth. “Of course. I understand.”

 

With a nod, Florianne went to follow after Celene and Gaspard, who went to the landing just above the dance floor, which had been cleared. Well, save for one person: Ena, who was walking with rather smug confidence along the dance floor. Aravae went off to Solas’s side, watching the scene carefully. All chatter began to die down as people gathered near the railings. Florianne’s back was turned to Ena as she spoke with Celene and Gaspard, but she visible froze when Ena said, “We owe the court one more show, Your Grace.”

 

Florianne slowly turned and clasped her hands in front of her. “Inquisitor.”

 

Ena took a couple of steps closer, a pleasing smile on her face, but Aravae could see the smugness behind it. “The eyes of every noble in the Empire are upon us, Your Grace. Remember to smile.” As she walked up to the landing, Florianne backed up nervously. “This is your party,” Ena continued. “You wouldn’t want them to think you had lost control.”

 

“Who would not be delighted to speak with you, Inquisitor?” Florianne asked, her voice barely remaining steady.

 

“I seem to recall you saying, ‘All I needed was to keep you out of the ballroom long enough to strike.’” Silence fell in the ballroom. Celene took a couple of steps back while Gaspard came between his cousin and his sister, visibly frowning behind his mask. Ena kept looking Florianne directly in the eye, her tone as sweet as honey. “When your archers failed to kill me in the garden, I feared you wouldn’t save me this last dance.” She began to circle the Grand Duchess, much like a predator toying with its prey. “It’s so easy to lose your good graces. You even framed your brother for the murder of a council emissary. It was an ambitious plan. Celene, Gaspard, the entire Council of Heralds...all your enemies under one roof.”

 

Florianne scoffed. “This is very entertaining, but you do not imagine anyone believes your wild stories?”

 

Celene spoke up coldly. “That will be for a judge to decide, _cousin_.”

 

Florianne spun around, lips parted in shock, her eyes dashing from Celene to Gaspard. “Gaspard…? You cannot believe this! You know I would never…!” Gaspard grunted with disgust, shaking his head. Celene gave a nod to her guards that were standing at the top of the stairs. As they approached, Florianne backed up, her hands held up pleadingly. “Gaspard?”

 

As the guards boxed her in, waiting for her compliance, she whirled around to Ena, desperation in her eyes. Ena tilted her head and furrowed her brows. “You lost this fight ages ago, Your Grace. You’re just the last one to find out.”

 

Florianne fell to her knees, a choked sob breaking from her throat. She didn’t even bother to fight as the guards took hold of her arms, hoisting her to her feet and dragging her away. Excited whispers erupted in the ballroom. Aravae kept an eye on Florianne as they led her off, making sure that her tears and breakdown wasn’t just an act. Ena then approached Celene, saying, “Your Imperial Majesty, I think we should speak in private. Elsewhere.”

 

The Empress nodded and she, Gaspard, an elven woman at their side Aravae assumed the Briala that the others had spoken of, and Ena made their way out onto the balcony at the back of the large room. Aravae looked to Solas with a small sigh. “Well… I suppose that takes care of that.”

 

“Indeed. I don’t see the others, though…” Solas looked towards the entrance of the ballroom. “If they met confrontation, they likely ruined their clothes. If Madame de Fer or Dorian accompanied the Inquisitor, they likely knew a spell to spare her from bloodstains…”

 

“They would know one like that.” Aravae cracked a smile. “I suppose we should keep an eye out, just in case.”

 

“I agree. It wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

 

The two remained together, keeping watch over the ballroom, but within several long minutes, it was as if nothing had happened. The band began to play music and everything carried on. People waltzed, laughed, drank, and gossiped without batting an eye. Aravae couldn’t deny that she wasn’t surprised about it. A servant swept by, passing Aravae and Solas a new glass of wine. They gently clinked them against each other in a sort of silent toast, then sipped from them. Ena and the others remained out on the balcony for a time. Aravae hoped she was able to deal with their political situation well enough without any help. At last, when the Empress and her companions left the balcony, a woman that Aravae had spotted several times throughout the evening, usually close to the Empress, walked out to Ena. It was hard to miss her with her ebony hair, golden eyes, and maskless face. No one other than the Inquisition members were not wearing masks, so it made her stand out some. Aravae wondered who she was. When she saw Bull standing nearby, waiting for an opportunity to speak to Ena, Aravae couldn’t help but smile.

 

Solas’s hand slid down to her own and he tugged at her before dropping it, walking off to exit the ballroom. Aravae followed after him, wondering what he wanted. As they stepped outside, she noted that most people must have flooded into the ballroom, because now the halls were all but empty. Solas went over to a darker corner, out of clear view. Banal’ras remained a short distance away from them, watching them carefully. Solas whisked Aravae’s glass from her hand and set it aside with his own. In the next instant, he took one of Aravae’s hands in his hand and set his other on her hip. Without hesitation, Aravae relaxed and fell in step with him as he began to sway them in the steps of an old, forgotten dance, the music faint through the doors.

 

“So we will be staying here tonight?” Aravae asked, a feeble attempt at small talk.

 

“We will. I hear we each have our own rooms. Quite extravagant, but such is Orlais.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Although...just because we have our own rooms...doesn’t mean we have to stay in them.”

 

Aravae’s cheeks warmed, but she kept her voice steady. “Just what are you insinuating, Ser?”

 

He chuckled and pressed his lips to her neck. “That I want to sleep with you in my arms tonight, my lady.”

 

“Well…” She cleared her throat, gazing into his eyes as he stood back upright. “How could I refuse such a smooth talker?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow, this chapter did NOT want to get written. I'm sorry if it ended up being a little quick - I LOATHE the Winter Palace, haha. Very much. However, with where I left it off, I'm curious...do you all actually want to see a smut scene with Aravae and Solas? It may very well happen and I'll mark off the section so that if you don't want to read it, you don't have to, but... I'm just curious to know!
> 
> Alright! Now that we've got the masquerade out of the way, we can get to the really good stuff I have planned over the next couple of chapters. I hope you're all ready. Here comes the Qun!
> 
> Thank you all for everything! I will see you soon! :)


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: NSFW scene ahead! If you don't wish to read it, I have marked the beginning and ending of the section with ~~~. Enjoy!

The masquerade went late into the night. Aravae and Solas eventually rejoined the others in the ballroom, though it was beginning to clear out. She saw Ena and Bull dancing out on the far balcony, which brought her a smile. They had a few remaining snacks and drinks until a servant came by, offering to show the Inquisition members to their rooms. Once all the rooms had been covered, Aravae sent a quick look to Solas, her darkly painted lips curving up on one side. She stepped into her room, Banal’ras following, and slid the door closed with a small  _ click _ .

 

She was all too pleased to see that a small second room attached to the bedroom and within it, resting on the tiles, was a tub drawn with hot water. She glanced at Banal’ras, wondering if she should chance washing him or just wait until they came across a river on the return journey, but he was already curled up beside the large bed, eyes closed. She smiled and went over to him, rubbing his ears affectionately. She was proud of him and how he had behaved throughout the course of the evening. There had only been one incident of him jumping up on top of a table to investigate the strange foods that had been laid out, but thankfully, it was empty enough in the area that no one had seen it. 

 

She stood and sighed heavily. She was all too glad that the night had finally wound down, though she still was feeling a little lightheaded from all the alcohol she’d consumed. She was also eager to shed the dress and get into the hot water, wash the makeup off her face, and feel a bit more normal again. However, her heart still raced, thinking about Solas’s proposition from earlier. She wondered whether or not he would go through it or not.

 

With slight difficulty, she managed to slip out of the dress and kicked the boots off of her feet, digging her toes into the soft carpet. Her feet were exhausted. Soaking them in the water would surely help. There was a thick, plush robe hanging from a hook on the wall near the tub. She was just about to step in when the soft  _ knock, knock _ came at her door. Her heart fluttered as her eyes darted to look at the door. Just in case it wasn’t who she was hoping for, she reached for her robe and slid it on, wrapping it around her tightly. She moved silently to the door and let her aura flow out. She smiled when she felt the familiar, icy sensation of Solas’s aura mix with hers. She set a hand on the knob and twisted it. Once she had swung it open, Solas was standing there, still clad in his militaristic uniform, his hands behind his back, and his eyes dark. Aravae stepped aside, silently offering for him to enter.

 

He stepped past her and she closed and locked the door behind him.

 

**~~~**

 

He only walked far enough in the room for Aravae to close the door, then turned to look at her, his hands coming to rest at his side. Aravae couldn’t deny that the way Solas’s eyes slowly dragged across her body from top to bottom and back up to her eyes made a small flame ignite in her belly. She tried to thwart the thoughts bubbling up in her mind that would make her second guess herself or possibly even stop herself.

 

Solas’s gaze then went over to the tub. “Shall I leave you to bathe?”

 

Aravae couldn’t stop her quiet giggle. Ever the gentleman. She hummed and brushed past him, heading back towards the tub. “I’m afraid the door is locked, Solas. It won’t open again until morning.”

 

“Is that right?” He shifted to fully face her, his voice low. “Then what am I to do while you bathe?”

 

Keeping her back to him, she opening up the robe, unable to suppress the nervous pit in her stomach as her brain reminded her that this would be the first time she would be completely bare before him. Still, her voice surged with confidence as she slowly let the robe slide off her shoulders and down her arms, brushing lightly against her body as it fell to a heap at her feet. “I was thinking that perhaps you could assist me...unless it’s too much for you to handle.”

 

Aravae didn’t have to turn and look to know that with a swift movement, Solas had fade-stepped to be behind her. His hands slowly raised and grazed across her back, up her spine, sending chills up and down it, and settling on her shoulders. He rubbed them for a moment before leaning over and planting slow kisses on the edge of her left shoulder. He murmured against her skin, “I will do anything you ask of me, vhenan.”

 

With a slow inhale, trying to collect her nerves, she set her hand on top of his and slowly turned, her heart drumming against the walls of her chest. Solas’s eyes drank in the sight of her naked body slowly. It was almost enough to make her being to backtrack and start grabbing for the robe, but his soft voice stopped her.

 

“You are so beautiful, ma vhenan.”

 

She didn’t fight the flush as it colored her cheeks. Normally, she would start to mess with her hair to give her fidgety hands something to do, but it was still held snug in place with the braid and hair pieces. Instead, she redirected the attention to him, setting her hands on the jacket of the uniform and starting to unbutton it. “You wouldn’t want to get this all wet, would you?”

 

Solas watched her as she slowly undressed him, his eyes locked on her face. Once he’d helped by shrugging out of the jacket and she started working on unbutton his white undershirt, his hands went up to her hair, plucking out the silver leaf ornaments and setting them aside on the small table that held a basin of water. Just as he’d finished pulling the last one out, she’d unbuttoned the last section. He shifted as she slid her hands along the bare skin of his shoulders, the shirt falling from them. She tugged at the sleeves and dropped it in a heap on the floor. Her hands trailed along his chest and over to his arms, running along the outline of his lean muscles. He reached up to her hair again, pulling the ribbon holding it out and working his fingers through it, gently pulling it free. As it showered down around her shoulders, it was incredibly more wavy than it had ever been before. He took a handful and lifted it to his face, inhaling deeply.

 

She smiled and cupped his cheek, feeling him lean into her touch before she pulled it away. She stepped carefully into the tub, the hot water nearly making her flinch. When she glanced over her shoulder at Solas, he was kicking off his pants and boots, leaving him in nothing but his underwear. She dragged her eyes along his body, enjoying what she was seeing. When her gaze met his, she could see the smug confidence in it. He knew that she liked his body. She whirled her head back around and sunk down into the tub, leaning back and sighing with contentment. However, the hot water did nothing to dissuade the warm feeling between her legs.

 

Solas knelt behind her, his long fingers running up and down her arms. Aravae let her eyes slide shut, just enjoying the feeling of his skin on hers. That small bit of contact was more than comforting to her. She could feel all her walls melting down into a puddle. She wanted him to touch her more, to hold her with no clothing between them - just skin on skin. She could smell the oils as Solas uncapped one that had been resting on the table with the basin. He swathed his hands in it, then began rubbing her arms with slightly more force, working the paint from her arms.

 

He took his time as he ran his hands along her body with the oils. When he ran along certain areas, the warmth between her legs grew - up around her neck, low on her hips, her thighs, and near her breasts. He seemed hesitate to put his hands on them, but she reached up and coaxed them towards them with her own light grip. He kneaded them gently, almost like a massage. She couldn’t stop the soft moan of pleasure at the sensation that passed her lips. He froze momentarily before breathing hotly in her ear, “Careful, vhenan.”

 

Feeling empowered, she demanded quietly, “Or else what?”

 

_ “I don’t think you truly want to know the answer to that,” _ he purred in elvish.

 

_ “Oh?” _ She shifted around in the tub to look at him, her damp hair clinging to her skin.  _ “Yet I think you want to tell me.” _

 

_ “There will be no telling. Only showing.” _

 

_ “Hmm.” _

 

_ “You do not believe me?” _

 

Wordlessly, though with a small smirk, she started to turn away from him, but his hand caught her chin, halting her progress. He yanked her back and crushed his lips against hers in a heated kiss. She made a small noise of startlement, not having expected such ferocity. When she tried to pull away, he cradled the back of her head, not allowing her to move anywhere. Only when he deemed the desperate kiss over did he release his grip on her, lips parting to gasp for air. His hooded eyes were so dark and lustful that she nearly ran back for another kiss, but she resisted the urge. She didn’t want to fully give him the satisfaction.

 

He stood and grabbed a towel before offering a hand to Aravae.  _ “Get up.” _

 

Again, she felt like being rebellious, but she listened, sliding her hand into his and standing out of the water. She shivered as the air wrapped around her body, a harsh change from the hot bath. She stepped out onto the equally cold tile and Solas unfolded the towel, rubbing it along her body to dry her off. She didn’t protest as he shifted her around to ensure he dried as much of her as he could. However, when he went dangerously high up her thighs, she inhaled sharply and held a breath. When his hand went back down, she released it. Solas chuckled at her. _ “Now why did you do that, hmm?” _

 

_ “Be quiet,” _ she murmured, averting her gaze. Now he was teasing her?

 

He stood before her, standing as tall as he could, hovering over her by just a couple of inches. He gazed down at her with intensity. He hooked his hand under her chin and forced her to look up at him.  _ “I asked you a question, Aravae.” _ She nearly whined a little at the way he whispered her name.  _ “Why did you do that?” _

 

_ “You know why.” _

 

_ “Do I?”  _ His free hand snaked down her body and took hold of her hip, his thumb drawing circles on it. She could feel his restraint from going further. She could see the desire in his eyes, but even so, he still waited.

 

Ever the gentleman. She had not yet allowed their physical interactions to go this far. A part of her, in the back of her mind, questioned why she was suddenly comfortable with proceeding. She was touch starved, for one. She’d forgotten how pleasant the intimate contact was and now that she had some, she didn’t have the willpower to stop herself. Her body was wound and tense, aching for some form of release. She’d been able to ignore it for a time, but it had gotten to the point where she could no longer. Now, here they were, Solas looking just as yearning as she felt, but he would still stop if she asked him to. She knew what he was waiting for.  _ “Yes, I think you do.” _

 

Before she’d barely had the time to finish her sentence, his hand shot down, parted her folds, and began exploring every last inch of her that he hadn’t touched yet. From the sudden contact, Aravae tensed and sucked air in through her teeth, but she relaxed almost instantly, her hands clutching onto Solas’s biceps. His fingers darted around, rubbing her surprisingly gently, given his urgency, seeming like they were searching. In no time at all, she was breathing heavily, the want and flame burning hot in her belly.

 

Solas set his free hand on her lower back and started to slowly guide them towards the bed, his long fingers never leaving her. They maneuvered carefully around Banal’ras, who was giving them a rather nasty look for disturbing his rest, but neither of them paid him any mind. They were too focused on each other. Once the back of her legs hit the bed, she shifted to get on it, slowly moving back towards the pillows and headboard and Solas crawled over her. He gripped the top of the headboard and hovered his lips right above Aravae’s. With a grin and without warning, he slid a finger inside her. Just as she started to gasp rather loudly, he pressed his lips to hers, swallowing the noise. He allowed her a moment to relax and adjust, then slid another finger in. Her deep throated moan only encouraged him further. He slowly began to pump his fingers. Her hands slid up and wrapped around his neck, holding onto him and deepening the kiss as she twisted her head.

 

She was already breathless and dizzy from the numerous sensations overcoming her. It had been so long -  _ too _ long - since she’d had this. She didn’t even try to suppress her moans and mewls that he drew from her since his mouth on hers helped to muffle the sound. She started rocking her hips against his hand, matching his movements. When he groaned with a hint of a growl, a pleasant chill crawled across her skin.

 

Without warning, he pried his lips away from hers, causing her to have to bite her lower lip to try and remain quiet. The other Inquisition members were in all the rooms surrounding them and though the two of them may be talented mages, she doubted either of them could maintain a barrier to contain their noise while they were so flustered. Solas’s expression was positively glowing with pride as he stared at her. He moved down and started peppering her neck with kisses, occasionally scraping his teeth along her tender skin. When he picked a spot to start sucking on her and giving small nibbles, he slid a third finger into her. “Ah-!” 

 

In a swift motion, he clapped his hand over her mouth to silence her. He finished giving attention to her neck before moving up and shushing her, his hot breath tickling her ear. When he started to nibble on the sensitive tips of her ears, she moaned without restraint against his hand. She grazed her fingernails along his back, sighing as he started sliding his fingers in and out again. 

 

He then began to move down to her breasts with his mouth. He kissed all along them before finally taking one between his lips, sucking, and whirling his tongue around her nipple. Her back arched slightly, but the weight of him on top of her kept her pinned to the bed. As his actions grew a little more aggressive, her moans turned into pleading whines as she began to squirm underneath him. Once he gave proper attention to both her breasts, he removed his fingers and pressed his groin against her, grinding on her lightly. He took his hand off her mouth and propped himself up on his forearms.  _ “Tell me what you want, vhenan.” _

 

Her entire body felt flushed and her mind was a jumbled mess. All she could think about was the blissful release that he could give her. She looked fixedly at him while her hands moved down to grip the top of his underwear. With a teasing grin, he snatched her wrists and pinned them down beside her head.  _ “Use your words,” _ he tutted.

 

_ “You know what I want,” _ she whined softly.

 

_ “Say it,” _ he demanded with a low rumble.

 

_ “Fuck me, Solas.” _

 

Clearly, he wasn’t going to waste a moment after she hissed that through grit teeth. He released his grip on her wrists and slid his underwear off, tossing it to the floor. His hard erection came free and while he straddled Aravae, he sat upright, allowing her a clear view. She eyed his length hungrily, licking her swollen lips. He took hold of his cock and stroked it slowly a couple of times.  _ “Like what you see?” _

 

She swallowed thickly and waited a moment before answering.  _ “Hmm. I guess we’ll see, after I see how I feel with it inside me.” _

 

_ “That can easily be arranged.”  _ He guided the head of his cock down between her folds, dampening it with her wetness. He then set it towards her entrance, letting it rest there for a moment. He gripped the headboard again and rested his hand down beside her head.  _ “Are you ready, vhe-?” _

 

Aravae appreciated him wanting to be certain that he wasn’t going too far, but she was  _ done _ waiting. She bucked her hips up, taking on his cock herself. She bit the back of her hand as she felt the stretch of her insides to accommodate him. He, on the other hand, was unable to quiet his grunt of surprise, which shifted into a low moan. His head tilted back and his eyes shut. Once she was certain she wasn’t going to make noise, she moved her hand and looked at him with a grin. He rolled his head forward and peered at her with dark eyes. He nipped at the tips of her ears again and murmured,  _ “Vixen.” _

 

She opened her mouth to reply, but he began to move his hips, sliding his cock down further. She gripped the sheets tightly, her body fighting to adjust. Though it hurt just a bit, it hurt  _ so good _ . She knew that with his size and the way she was already feeling, she wouldn’t be able to last long. Once she felt his sack come to rest against her skin, she knew that he was fully sheathed inside her. He waited a moment, making sure she had relaxed. She released the sheets and grabbed the sides of his face, pulling him down to her and locking her lips around his. He returned her kiss fervently as he began to rock his hips. She looped one arm around his back, now holding onto him instead. 

 

The faster he moved, the harder it was for the both of them to remain quiet. They groaned into each other’s mouths. Each time they pulled away for breath, Solas would mumble sweet nothings in their native tongue to her, promising how good he would make her feel, telling her how wonderful she felt to him, how beautiful and sexy she was, how hard she made him…

 

All she could barely even do was whisper his name.

 

Their hands grabbed at each other, their lips pressed against each other, and their hips bucked together. Aravae could feel herself building up, fast. She held onto Solas tighter and tighter, digging her nails into his back. He wrapped an arm around her torso, pulling her up flush against him. Aravae could barely register that she was begging - begging for him to not stop, to keep going, because it felt so,  _ so _ good and she could feel herself getting close-

 

Stars burst in her eyes, her toes curled, and she arched even further off the bed, mewling and gasping with pleasure as Solas continued on for another moment before quickly pulling his cock out and spilling his seed on both of their sweaty bodies with a deep throated growl. They both sat there, motionless, save for their chests heaving, catching their breath at last. Solas shifted around and fell onto his back beside of Aravae. She smiled and tilted her head over to look at him. “Shame on you,” she teased. “I just bathed and now we need to take another.”

 

He arched an eyebrow at her. “We?”

 

“Yes. We.”

 

**~~~**

* * *

Though things had been awkward between Aravae and Solas and the rest of the inner circle since their reveal, that did not spare them the wiggling eyebrows as they stepped out of Aravae’s room the next morning together. Bull and Dorian were the ones to make vocal jokes, which neither elvhen humored them by reacting to. However, there were also curious eyes looking towards Bull and Ena as they stood closer than normal, exchanging quiet conversation. Aravae could tell by the glow in Ena’s eyes that she and Bull had finally talked. They had done no more than that, but it was clearly enough to make her happy.

 

They thanked the Empress for her generosity in hosting and letting them stay the night at the palace, then they mounted and were on their way. Leliana rode beside Ena for a time, informing her of things she’d learned and missives she’d received throughout the night and that morning. She passed one off to Bull, which he frowned at. He tucked it away in the saddlebag of his draft horse and didn’t look at it again for the rest of the day. It was a long day of riding, but once they set up camp that night, Bull pulled Ena aside to speak with her privately. It didn’t last too long, but when they were finished, they came back around the fire like nothing had happened. 

 

As luck would have it, Aravae and Ena were sharing a shift that night in their rotations. As luck would not have it, it started to rain on them. They drew their hoods over their heads and Aravae kept the fire lit with a small spell to deter the water from falling on it. Aravae made certain that no one was crawling out of their tent when she asked, “So...you and Bull finally spoke, hmm?”

 

Ena smiled broadly. “Yes. I’ve been waiting to get a chance to talk with you! He… Well, I was out on the balcony after dealing with the...chaos of what had just happened. Oh, that reminds me, did you notice the woman there with the dark hair, golden eyes, no mask?”

 

“Yes. What about her?”

 

“Her name is Morrigan. She is- was Celene’s...arcane advisor, I think she called herself? Anyway, she’s going to be joining with us. Apparently, she has more knowledge about arcane matters than the average person.” She gave a sheepish shrug. “Obviously, I couldn’t very well tell her that I already have two that know probably tons more than she does…”

 

Aravae scoffed lightly. “Indeed not. She’ll probably still be helpful. Solas and I are better acquainted with old magic, rather than the modern style of today and centuries past.”

 

“Ah, good point. I hadn’t thought of that.” Ena fell silent and began chewing on her lip.

 

“Is there something else?”

 

Ena gave a small, unsure shrug. “Well… Bull is Ben-Hassrath, remember?”  _ All too well, _ Aravae wanted to say, but didn’t. “He’s still been sending his reports to the Qun, after Leliana clears it and so forth. Apparently, the Qun is willing to ally with the Inquisition to stop Corypheus.” She heaved a large sigh. “It would be a huge help, but Bull doesn’t trust them. I don’t either, unfortunately. But I figured it couldn’t help to at least hear them out. Bull is setting up a meeting with them, which we’ll probably be able to take care of by time we get back to Skyhold.”

 

“...Did he say specifically if the Qun stated why they were ready to meet?” She frowned. “I honestly don’t know much about them, but from what I’ve gathered, they’re at war with Tevinter, they’re set in their ways, and they feel that their way is the only right way.”

 

“I think that’s about right. Bull said we aren’t in any danger from an invasion or anything like that. It’s just moreso that the Qun decided that Corypheus is a great enough threat to everyone, including themselves, to be taken care of.”

 

“I see.”

 

Aravae passed this information along to Solas. He didn’t like the sounds of it, nor the timing, same as her. However, he promised to keep her safe. 

 

It only made the journey back to Skyhold more tense for the two elvhen. Bull acted no differently. If anything, the qunari acted happier and more lighthearted, sticking close to and teasing Ena. Though Aravae kept a close eye on him, she couldn’t help but feel that he didn’t seem like the type of man that would betray him. When she spoke with Solas more in-depth about his feelings and understanding of the Qun, he had no kind words for it, comparing it to brainwashing slavery, beating ideals into its subjects until they genuinely believed that they were the correct ideals. He’d mentioned that he’d jabbed at Bull at it before. In the beginning, he defended the Qun rather vigorously, but as time passed, Bull sounded more and more hesitant. Now that he’d chosen to begin a relationship with Ena of his own volition, Solas was hopeful that he had changed his mind about the Qun - a religion that didn’t believe in love so much as it did proper breeding. Aravae vaguely recalled Bull telling a story of a re-educator. The couldn’t remember all the details. Only that it sounded strongly unpleasant.

 

Everyone was pleased to be back at Skyhold, able to relax a little now that the masquerade had passed and they’d stopped Corypheus’ attempt at assassinating Celene. However, Ena was kept busy, Aravae there at her side to help advise her. When they’d walked to the War Room one day, they saw Varric speaking in hushed whispers with a hooded figure - clearly another dwarf, judging by the height. When Ena gave him a questioning look, he gave her a sheepish grin and waved her off. Whatever that was, it couldn’t be good. Then, there was Cassandra, who had lost contact with all other Seekers. She feared them dead or being held hostage by Corypheus and was determined to find out. Ena naturally promised to help her in any way they could, starting by redirecting some resources to follow up on the most recent lead there had been on a Seeker. 

 

There were letters from Hawke and Stroud - Aravae had been filled in some time ago about them and their situation. They were close to following after the trail of the Grey Wardens and would send a letter once they were certain they had their location pinned. It wouldn’t be long now until they dealt with a further plot of Corypheus: his demon army.

 

However, the day soon came when Bull told Ena that the meeting with the Qun was set. They were to meet at the Storm Coast to help a dreadnought - apparently a war ship - destroy a red lyrium smuggling operation that they’d discovered. They could only use a small force, so as not to tip the Venatori off. Bull recommended himself, Ena, the Chargers, and whoever Ena wanted to bring for a small backup group. He assured her that the dreadnought would do most of the work. 

 

After a bit of planning, Ena agreed to bring Aravae, Solas, and Blackwall along with them. Though they all disliked riding out so soon after arriving back in Skyhold, it couldn’t be avoided. They couldn’t be late for their meeting with Bull’s contact. Each step they took towards the Storm Coast, the worse and worse Aravae’s dread grew. Though everyone else seemed rather assured that things would go smoothly or that the Qun didn’t pose a danger, Aravae couldn’t be entirely appeased.

 

As always, it was pouring rain and storming in the area. They kept their hoods drawn as well as they could, trying to prevent the wind from blowing them off. Bull pointed out that they were close to the meeting point and they all dismounted. Aravae rubbed Banal’ras’ soaked fur sympathetically. She bet he wished he had just run off into the Emerald Graves so that he didn’t have to deal with fancy groups in a party, intense frigid snowy landscapes, or the Storm Coast. He just shook, sending even more water droplets flying at her. Though she glared lightly at him, she supposed she deserved it.

 

Bull glanced around at an obvious campsite. “All right, our qunari contact should be here to meet us.”

 

“He is.” An elf stepped out from a tent, looking at Bull with a friendly grin. “Good to see you again, Hissrad.”

 

“Gatt!” Bull raised his hands with both a bit of joy and surprise. “Last I hear, you were still in Seheron!”

 

The elf, Gatt, gave Bull a bemused look. “They finally decided I’d calmed down enough to go back out into the world.”

 

Bull looked to Ena. “Boss, this is Gatt. We worked together in Seheron.”

 

Gatt gave a polite nod. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Inquisitor. Hissrad’s reports say you’re doing good work.”

 

Ena frowned with confusion, looking up at the qunari. “Iron Bull’s name is Hissrad?”

 

With practiced patience, Gatt explained, “Under the Qun, we use titles, not names.”

 

“My title was Hissrad,” Bull added. “Because I was assigned to secret work. You can translate it as ‘keeper of illusions’, or-”

 

“Liar. It means liar.”

 

Bull narrowed his eye at Gatt. “Well, you don’t have to say it like  _ that _ .”

 

Ena broke out into a small smile, glancing between Bull and Gatt. “It’s so nice to hear my friends say good things about me in their secret spy reports.”

 

“He does...but they aren’t really secret, are they?” Gatt gave Bull a skeptical look. 

 

He looked guilty. “Look, Gatt-”

 

“Relax.” In the blink of an eye, the elf was grinning, as though it had only been a joke. “Unlike our superiors, I know how it works out here.

 

The Iron Bull and Gatt launched into a quick conversation, throwing names around that Aravae didn’t recognize. While they began to talk a little about specifics, she kept her eye on this elf. When Bull had spoken about a contact, she imagined meeting another tall, grey-skinned individual with horns. It was hard for her to remember that the Qun didn’t necessarily have just qunari. Well, no...they were called that because they follow the Qun. Which would make this...elf...a qunari? Then what was Bull’s race called? She groaned internally. It made no sense.

 

She refocused on the conversation, hearing that they were talking about their tactics to take out the Venatori mages that protected their smuggling ship. Bull offered to go with Ena and Gatt, leaving Krem to lead the Bull’s Chargers. She glanced towards the mercenaries. The only mage support they had was from Dalish, no matter how much they joked about her being an archer. Even then, from conversations she’d had with the woman before, she wasn’t very good with support magic, really only offensive. If they were going up against mages, they couldn’t just charge in ‘horns first’ as Bull liked to say. She raised her hand. “Bull, I’ll go with the Chargers.”

 

“Hmm. Alright. Come with me. I’ll go fill them in. Give us a minute to get ready and we’ll move out.”

 

Aravae was about to follow after Bull when Solas caught her wrist. “Are you sure, Aravae?”

 

“I’m not a child, Solas. I can take care of myself. I’ll take care of them, too. You stay with Ena. They need a strong mage on both fronts.” She leaned down and knelt before Banal’ras. “Ma falon, with me helping the Chargers, that leaves the others at a numerical disadvantage. Would you stay with them to help?”

 

The panther stared at her for a moment, seemingly trying to comprehend her words. He then stood and rubbed against her before moving off to stand by Ena - the only other person in the group he seemed to relatively care for. Aravae stood back up and gave Solas a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll be fine, vhenan. It’ll be over in no time, then we can go back to Tarasyl’an Te’las.”

 

He nodded with a ghost of a smile. “As you say, Era’tarasyl’nin.”

 

She groaned and shook her head, hurrying after Bull. “...once they’re down, send up your signal. That’ll let the dreadnought know it’s safe to come in.”

 

All of the Chargers stood straight, listening intently. Krem crossed his arms. “Understood, Chief.”

“Remember, you’re gonna want a volley to start, but don’t get suckered into fighting at range. They’ve got mages.”

 

“It’s alright. We’ve got a mage of our own,” Krem pointed out.

 

“I’m not a mage!” Dalish insisted. The Chargers chuckled.

 

Bull carried on, used to the quip. “Actually, you’ll have two. Saar’s gonna go with you. Her barriers are good, but don’t abuse them, got it? Get in close, fast, and take down their enchanter before he takes over the battlefield.”

 

Skinner waved a dagger in the air. “He’ll be dead before he knows it.”

 

Bull grunted. “Just...pay attention, alright? The Vints want this red lyrium shipment bad.”

 

“Yes, I know,” Krem droned with no short supply of sarcasm. “Thanks, Mother.”

 

“Qunari don’t have mothers, remember?”

 

“We’ll be fine, Chief,” Krem said reassuringly.

 

“Alright, Chargers. Horns up!”

 

“Horns up!” they called back at him, raising their index fingers on the sides of their heads.

 

He shook his head with a grin. “Not that I need to say it, but keep an eye on Saar. I don’t think any of us want to find out what Solas is like when he gets pissed and protective.”

 

Dalish wrapped an arm around Aravae’s waist. “We’ve got it, Chief!”

 

“Alright, Chargers! And honorary member,” Krem added with a wink. “Double-time. Let’s move!”

 

Aravae hurried off with the others after giving one more glance to ensure Banal’ras wasn’t following her. Honorary member, indeed. Bull had given her a nickname that apparently was sticking. They made quick, but careful progress along the rocky pathways until they could see smoke rising from a weak fire not far ahead. Krem gave the signal for them all to get down. They peered ahead, counting the number of their enemies. It wasn’t a grand number. They would be able to handle them, easily. Krem set his helmet down on his face while the others drew their weapons. He gave a nod to Aravae and she waved her hand, swathing everyone in a strong barrier.

 

With battle cries, they charged, Aravae and Dalish remaining back, keeping barriers up and firing spells to help out. Stitches kept behind them, being only the surgeon and healer, no sort of sighter. It was laughably easy. Aravae had never seen the Chargers in action, but it was certain they knew what they were doing. Krem and Grim ran in quickly, swinging their weapons, Rocky not far behind them, a few traps and explosives ready to be thrown. Truthfully, Aravae probably needn’t have come at all. Not a single one of them were injured in the slightest.

 

Krem pointed to an adjacent hill. “Look. There’s the others’ target. They’re still fighting. Let’s get the signal ready.”

 

“Got it here.” Stitches passed it along to the Lieutenant. Krem took it and watched the others in their fight, waiting until the last foe had fallen before lighting the small flare with the fire. Aravae watched it as it flew up into the air, its light bright red and easily seen through the rain.

 

“Look, there!” Rocky called, waving the others over to the edge of the hill.

 

The dreadnought was impressive, to say the least. Aravae wasn’t certain how such a hunk of metal floated, but she doubted it could be easily sunk. However, anything could be, given adequate time, positioning, and strength. It only took the vessel a few large fireballs to crash into the wooden hull and sink the Venatori’s smuggling vessel. The Chargers whooped and exchanged a few high-fives before Skinner snapped, “Stop. Look.”

 

They looked down below them, where as many as ten Venatori mages were crawling out of the water and onto land. One of them glanced upward and spotted them, waving his hand for the other mages to follow him. Krem backed up and drew his sword. “Back into formation! We’re gonna have a rough time with this one. Dalish, Saar, don’t cast any spells and waste your energy until you see them start firing at us first. Grim, with me. Rocky, get your explosives ready. Skinner, watch his back. Stitches...get your ointment out. I don’t think we’ll be nearly as lucky this time around.”

 

Krem took charge well. Aravae readied herself, along with Dalish. She doubted that she could take on that many mages alone and come out unscathed, but with the Chargers there… They would sustain a few injuries, but she could prevent anything fatal or serious. 

 

That was when a horn sounded in the air. Aravae jerked slightly, thinking for a moment it had come from the Venatori or perhaps reinforcements. Instead, Krem sheathed his sword and gestured. “Come on. That’s the Chief’s signal for us to fall back.”

 

“Fall back? But-”

 

Aravae was interrupted as a fireball flew towards them. She held out her hand and shot a bolt of lightning at it, causing a smoky explosion in the air. She waved her hands. “You go ahead! I’ll take the rear and block their attacks with my barriers. Go!”

 

Not leaving them any room to argue, the Chargers took off, moving as quickly as they could while weighed down with their armor. Aravae backed up, keeping her barrier at full strength, more easily able to use her full magical capabilities without the Chargers - namely, Dalish - nearby. She fire bolt after bolt at them, causing them to cluster close together as they all headed for her, casting spells and glyphs of their own. Then, Aravae called on some rift magic she’d been practicing with Solas. She knelt and formed a fist, punching it into the ground. The rock beneath the mages crumbled, drawing out screams from them as they fell.

 

She didn’t want to stick around, in case there really were other reinforcements. This way, at the least, perhaps the dreadnought would not be targeted from the mages if they hadn’t survived that fall. She turned on heel to follow after the Chargers, but when she did, she felt a quick, burning pain on the back of her head. She fell to her knees, the ground spinning underneath her. Something had hit her. But what was it? Had she missed one of the mages? Her head  _ throbbed _ .

 

The pain was too much. She saw the muddied ground rushing up to meet her, but she didn’t remember making contact with it before she passed out.

 

* * *

 

Ena glared at Gatt’s back as he left in disgust, glaring daggers at anyone before him. Banal’ras growled lowly at the elf when he’d all but spat at Ena, but she shushed him, not wanting the panther to do anything beyond repair. Bull had called for the Chargers to retreat, against Gatt’s strong suggestion not to. Still, when Ena snapped for Bull to save their friends, the qunari didn’t hesitate. 

 

No. Not qunari.

 

Tal-vashoth.

 

The Chargers had begun to retreat, but Aravae had spun around and made the ground collapse under the Venatori mages before vanishing from out of view, following after Krem and the others. However, a few of the mages survived and fled from the hillside. Rather, they ran along the shore and got within range to start firing at the dreadnought, which couldn’t defend itself. A violent explosion shook the ground as the ship burst into flames.

 

Ena could see the mixture of confusion and regret and loss in Bull’s eyes as he mumbled, “C’mon. Let’s get back to my boys.”

 

Blackwall sheathed his sword at last, apparently not trusting Gatt and his temper. Solas had been keeping his narrowed eyes on the retreating elf’s back, as well. However, they then spotted Stitches, running towards them breathlessly, the rest of the Chargers not far behind. Solas instantly saw the one who was missing and stiffened. “Chief!” Stitches wheezed.

 

“What is it? What happened?” he demanded with concern, all his feelings about the Qun and being declared tal-vashoth currently gone.

 

“Saar-” he cut himself off, glancing nervously at Bull. “Aravae. She’s not with us.”

 

“What do you mean?” Solas snarled, the rain turning to frost around him.

 

“The Lieutenant told her we needed to fall back, she told us to go ahead and she’d guard our backs, so we rushed out of range of the mages. Heard the cliff collapse, so we went back to check, but she’d...just...vanished.”

 

“How?” Ena took a step forward, her blood chilling. “She didn’t fall with them. We didn’t see anyone else pursue her.”

 

“I-I don’t know. She’s just...gone.”

 

Solas’s eyes flashed dangerously - murderously. His hands balled up into fists and his jaw clenched tight. All he could see what her soft smiling face, promising him they would be heading back to Tarasyl’an Te’las soon. She wouldn’t just vanish like this. She had no reason to. Someone must have caught her by surprise. Someone had taken her...and whoever it was...they were going to  _ pay _ . He would make them  _ beg _ for the sweet release of death. He would make them  _ wish _ they had  _ never _ been born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, what's this?! Like...my first cliffhanger of the story?! It took me until chapter 30?! Man, I've spoiled y'all. ;D
> 
> Hope you guys like the smut with Aravae and Solas! It's been a long time coming. I thought about making them wait a little longer, but then I decided against it, emphasizing in the previous chapter about how relaxed she was and how she felt like her old self and more comfortable because of feeling like she was back in Elvhenan times. That, coupled with some drinks for liquid courage, annnd we're off!
> 
> Dun-dun-dunnn!! Solas is pissed and ready to kill someoneee~
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. I had it finished less than 24 hours after I posted chapter 29. Thank you so much for all your support! It's what keeps this story going. I will see you all soon! :)


	31. Chapter 31

The ground turned to ice where Solas walked, rain turning to sleet around him in the air. Without even needing to see his face, one could feel the anger rolling off him in waves. For the first time, Ena was truly scared of him. Was this what he was like as Fen’harel? Because it was terrifying to her. He’d demanded sharply for the Chargers to lead him to where Aravae disappeared from. As Krem led them, he tried to make an attempt at apologizing, but whatever expression Solas had given him cut him off quickly.

 

When they arrived, Solas examined it. He could make out only one set of footprints in the mud. Judging by the size, it had to have been Aravae’s, but they were quickly disappearing from the rain. He held out his arms and extended his aura as far as he could, searching for any hint of his vhenan’s. He felt nothing. Nothing.

 

_ Nothing. _

 

He growled low with frustration, his magic flaring around him, freezing even more of the ground. There was no blood. No other tracks. No signs that anyone had been there. There were no signs of a struggle, indicating that someone had snuck up on her, which was a hard enough thing to do in and of itself. But to not leave any tracks... and they couldn’t have gotten far. He just didn’t know which direction they’d gone. If only Cole were with them, maybe he could pick up on something.

 

Bull came over to stand beside him, eyeing the ground. Solas narrowed his eyes at the now tal-vashoth. Under normal circumstances, he would be happy for Bull, finally breaking away and having thoughts of his own, but now, with Aravae missing...all he could imagine was the panicked look on her face when she had forgotten about Bull being a Ben-Hassrath. 

 

“It’s likely the work of the Qun,” Bull mumbled.

 

“What?” Solas hissed, fully facing him. “Why would they take her,  _ The Iron Bull _ ? Do they know who she is? Who I am? Why else would they take her? Why would others be here?” With each question, his voice grew lower, angrier, more venomous.

 

Bull fell silent, not meeting Solas’s fierce gaze. A lump formed in Ena’s throat. “Bull-?”

 

“How dare you,” Solas hissed. “I stood up for you. She was nervous. I assured her you wouldn’t sell us out to the Qun because it could instigate an invasion.  _ I  _ promised to keep her  _ safe _ , just in case you  _ did _ do something so stupid…” He exhaled shakily, his breath forming a vapor cloud. “I should kill you right now.”

 

Bull didn’t back down from the elvhen man. He brought his eye over to meet Solas’s, which were dark and full of rage. “I informed them that I found  _ agents _ of Fen’harel, but for them not to make any moves because I had not deemed them dangerous. They told me to remember my place and they would do whatever they thought necessary.”

 

“Then you gave them our descriptions. This entire thing was a  _ setup _ ?!”

 

“No! I had absolutely  _ no _ idea about any of this-!”

 

“Prove it to me by telling me where they would have taken her, then stay out of my way.” Solas pointed a finger, bringing it close to touching Bull. “You have no right to go and save her. Not when you caused this.”

 

“What, and you’re going to go charging in by yourself? You’ll need backup.”

 

“No.” Magic swirled around Solas in all shades of colors, though green was dominant. His eyes even flashed with magic. “I won’t.”

 

* * *

 

Aravae came to, a massive headache pounding in her skull. She groaned and tried to bring her hands up to rub at her temples, but found that she couldn’t. Was she...bobbing up and down? She forced her eyes open and saw the ground and the backside of someone with grey skin...that she knew for certain wasn’t Bull. She heard the thick language of qunlat being spoken, able to recognize it from the phrases Bull used around them, but she couldn’t understand a word of it. She tried to move her hands again, but felt them tugging at a restraint. They were bound with rope behind her back.

 

They stopped moving and an elven woman stepped into her view. She had the sides of her head shaved with dark brown hair still left in the center, tied up in a high ponytail. Her eyes were a light honey brown and she had black vallaslin to honor Andruil. “Don’t try to use your magic, bas saarebas. We’ve given you a drug to suppress it. Don’t cause yourself unnecessary discomfort.”

 

“What are you doing? Where are you taking me?” she demanded weakly, finding it hard to move her mouth and tongue the way she wanted.

 

“Please, remain calm. We are taking you somewhere safe.”

 

“Somewhere safe,” she scoffed. “I was safe where I was. I highly doubt where we’re going is safe for anyone.”

 

“That has yet to be seen. Perhaps nowhere is quite safe with you, agent of Fen’harel.”

 

A chill ran down Aravae’s spine as she froze, panic rising in her eyes. By instinct, she immediately tried to call forth her magic, but found that she couldn’t. When she tried, a nauseous feeling overcame her, intensifying her headache. She groaned, feeling as though she may vomit. 

 

“I said don’t try to-”

 

“It was Bull, wasn’t it?” Aravae interrupted, shutting her eyes to try and fight off the wave of nausea. Maybe if the horned qunari she was being carried by would  _ stop _ moving and making her  _ rock up and down _ … “He told you - the Qun.”

 

“How we know is of no concern to you. Hissrad may very well not be our only spy within your Inquisition.” She tilted her head. “Put her down, please.” Aravae fought to maintain her balance as her feet touched the ground, still feeling sickly from trying to use her magic. All the while, the elven qunari continued to speak. “You may call me Viddathari, kabethari. I am here to be by your side, to keep you safe and make you feel secure during your transition.”

 

Aravae finally managed to stand upright, brows furrowed with confusion. “Transition?”

 

“Yes, to the Qun,” Viddathari replied without batting an eye. “You will find it to be quite calming, free of chaos. You will now know your place in life and-”

 

Aravae fought the urge to try and summoned her magic again, to attack this woman and the two ox-men that were with her. She could take them all alone...but they knew it. That was why they’d drugged her. “Just listen to yourself,” she spat. “You sound brainwashed, like a puppet, being told exactly what to say. That is what the Qun is?” Everyone Solas had said was starting to make a lot of sense now. He’d made spiteful comments about how it stripped people of their individuality, it made decisions for them, it bred them for jobs, rather than its followers falling in love, and so on. How would people willingly convert to that?

 

To her surprise, Viddathari narrowed her eyes and grew defensive. “Nonsense. I was saved by the qunari from being a slave in Tevinter and they took me under their wing. They showed me that I have a place in the world, a way I can help others. They didn’t brainwash me or anything ridiculous like that. I made the choice, I learned their ways, and I am much happier and free than I’ve ever been. Don’t insult that which you do not know, just because you do not understand it. I’ve been on both sides and I can say that the Qun was the best decision I ever made.”

 

“I’ve also been in slavery and managed to escape, but you don’t see me running off to join some cult religion.”

 

“And would you say that your life has become easier, all your troubles and worries gone?”

 

Aravae opened her mouth, but the words died away. She couldn’t openly say that everything she’d gone through since the fall of Arlathan was simple and that her life was easy in comparison to what it had been. Viddathari gave an affirmative “humph” and a single nod. She set her hand on Aravae’s shoulder, pushing her forward. Though she desperately didn’t want to just walk along with them, with another glance, she knew that there was no way she could win in any sort of physical dispute with them, even if she could get her hands free from behind her back. She trudged forward, instead observing everything she could.

 

The skies were grey, though no longer raining. She could feel the dry mud on the side of her face and neck and it had stained the front of her armor. The ground was still a bit rocky and hilly, so they likely hadn’t gotten far from the Storm Coast. It was possible they were still walking along the Waking Sea’s edge, but she could neither see nor hear any water from where they were. One of the ox-men was carrying her staff and her belt that held her dagger. She was pleased that they hadn’t been left behind or broken. These people, these...qunari claimed that she would be safer with them? Hadn’t they knocked her on the head so that she didn’t take them out with her magic? Safe indeed.

 

They walked along in silence, Aravae feeling as though it was rather uncomfortable. She kept looking around, waiting for an opportunity where she could potentially plow through her captors and escape. Unfortunately, thanks to the way they were walking, it would be hard. Viddathari and one of the ox-men was leading and the other ox-man was right behind her. She dryly thought that this was not a good way for her to raise her opinions of qunari. Or the horned people. Whatever they called themselves. Qunari followed the Qun. Either way, unless Aravae were to throw herself down a hill, which would be stupid and reckless with her hands bound behind her back, she couldn’t see herself outrunning them.

 

When she heard noise in the distance, accompanied by the crashing sound of waves, dread filled her. They had to be getting close to wherever they were taking her and the voice in her head started screaming that a boat was going to somehow be involved. She fought to keep her breaths deep and relaxed. She couldn’t panic. If she started panicking, she wouldn’t think clearly. She  _ needed _ to stay calm.

 

Indeed, as they cleared the crest of a hill, down below, not too far from the rocky shore, was a camp. There weren’t many tents set up, no more than ten, but there seemed to be lots of activity. Anchored in the Waking Sea, she could see a ship, rolling in the waves. Up on the shore, there were several wooden dinghies. She suppressed the panic again.  _ Stay calm. Just stay calm. _

 

They led her down the hill. Viddathari, at one point, turned and inquired, “Are you cold? Hungry? Thirsty?”

 

Aravae’s nostrils flared. She wasn’t going to trust anything coming from them. She remained silent.

 

With a small sigh, Viddathari looked to one of the ox-men. “Fetch her a warm bowl of broth. I’ll take her to the tent.”

 

The fact that she didn’t specify which tent only made Aravae more anxious. She glanced around the camp as quickly as she could, trying to count numbers, get a handle on weapons, any possible weak points...but as she was quickly swept inside of a tent, she didn’t have the opportunity to see much. She saw many more ox-men in camp, at least eight, along with several other individuals from different races. She’d seen crates, but had no idea what was inside of them. The one other ox-man that had been escorting them stood in the tall tent with them. There was a metal stake that was a couple feet tall driven into the ground, the top of it bearing a horizontal pole, making it look like a T. She knew immediately what that was for. She glanced around in the tent, lit with candles. There were glass bottles of questionable liquids, a few baskets of herbs, and a bedroll off to the side. Beyond that, there wasn’t anything else inside. Viddathari retrieved a pair of metal cuffs and guided Aravae over to the stake. She clapped the cold metal to Aravae’s wrists, restraining her to the steak, before untying the rope. She stepped back around in front of her. “I’m sorry. However, you must understand our caution. As an agent of Fen’harel and apparently, a very gifted mage, we must take care.”

 

Aravae made a noise between a grunt and a scoff. She gave the cuffs an experimental tug. When they didn’t budge, she tugged against the stake. It was completely solid in the ground. She glanced up and behind her. There was no way she could get her wrists high enough or wide enough to be able to slip the cuffs off of the stake. She was nowhere near being able to call on her magic again. She was not in a good spot. “So why did you capture me? Only because I’m an agent of Fen’harel? What sort of basis is that?”

 

“We know that he is awake and we know that he can’t be up to any good.” Viddathari turned her back and took slow strides over to the table that held the glass vials. “We caught two of his spies within our ranks...and a third escaped. Tell me...does the name Felassan mean anything to you, Aravae?”

 

She knew her heartbeat sped up when she heard that name. She still managed to keep her expression free of reaction. It was set in a rather permanent frown. “How do you know my name?”

 

“Come now, you’re really going to ask that? Surely you know, by working near Hissrad, how extensive our operation is. We make sure to have all the details before making a decision.”

 

“All of them, hmm? Then you know who Fen’harel is?”

 

Viddathari whirled around, an intrigued brow arched. “No. But I assume you do.”

 

Aravae couldn’t hold back her sneer. She had known they would assume she did if she had asked that question, but she needed to know if the Qun knew who Solas was. Judging by that quite blatant response, they didn’t.

 

She needed to keep it that way.

 

“I do not. Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

 

Viddathari hummed, impressed. “I admire your loyalty. Normally, we would have a different manner in handling situations like these. However, we are quite aware time is of the essence. We have been given permission to withdraw this information from you by any means necessary. There are many things we would like to ask you.”

 

“I’ll tell you nothing,” she hissed.

 

“Ah… We will see.”

 

Viddathari began by simply talking. She was reciting parts of the Qun and further trying to make Aravae see how it was a good life, how it could answer her questions, and make her life make sense. Aravae tuned her out by thinking about Felassan. He had been nearly as close to Solas as she had been, but they’d hardly ever spoken to each other. She’d tried to track him down when she’d woken. She remembered that Solas left him in charge of guarding the eluvians in his absence, so if she had found him, she could have used the eluvians again. However, she’d never found him. She’d assumed he’d perished like most of the others. Solas hadn’t mentioned him, either. Then again, to be fair, Aravae had not ever asked the specifics of Solas’s plan when he’d mentioned his original intentions. He’d said he’d allowed his agents to let Corypheus locate his orb. Perhaps Felassan had been among them. When Aravae noticed it had become silent, she looked back to Viddathari, who looked less than impressed.

 

Once she realized words were going to do nothing, she started to head towards the glass bottles. However, the other ox-man had returned with the broth. Viddathari took it and offer a spoonful to Aravae. She scoffed again and turned her head away. Though the sound of some warm food was alluring, Aravae wasn’t about to accept anything from them. Viddathari tried several times, but when she could tell Aravae wasn’t going to cave, she shrugged and started eating it for herself. 

 

When she finished and set the bowl aside, she went back to the bottles and picked one out. She popped the cork off and took hold of some herbs. She soaked part of the herbs in the liquid, being careful not to touch any herself. Aravae tensed. One of the ox-men came up behind her and shoved on the back of her knees and the top of her shoulder, forcing her to kneel in the gravel. They took knives and cut away the sleeves of her armor. She shuddered in the chilly air, keeping her ired gaze on Viddathari as she approached. She knelt beside Aravae and set the herbs on her bare skin. Aravae had half been expecting it to burn or something of the nature, but it just felt wet. Viddathari was then handed some gauze wrapping, which she used to ensure that the herb remained pressed firmly against Aravae’s upper arm. She stood back up and wordlessly went to go and sit on the bedroll that was across the tent, watching Aravae patiently.

 

With the woman’s eyes glued to her, she felt uncomfortable. Instead, she tried to make herself as comfortable on the ground as she could. She crossed her legs and closed her eyes, emptying her mind so that she could meditate. Perhaps if she were able to do that, she would be able to summon her magic sooner than her captors anticipated.

 

It was easily a few hours before she opened her eyes again. Night had fallen. Viddathari was laying down on her bedroll, seemingly asleep. The ox-men guards were nowhere to be found. It was quiet outside. Even the waves seemed to be calmer than normal. Aravae tried again to call on her magic, but the nausea slammed into her again, making her have to fight gagging. She leaned over, just in case she was going to be sick this time.

 

She managed to fight it off, though she still felt disgust in her gut. She heard footsteps outside, accompanied with the sounds of shouting. What was going on? When she glanced at Viddathari, she wasn’t shifting at all. The tent flap was mostly closed, so Aravae didn’t bother struggling to try and look through the crack that was there, leading to outside. She sat still and waited patiently.

 

When the flap suddenly opened and someone darted inside, darting off to the nearest, darkest corner of the tent, Aravae nearly made a startled noise. Whoever had just rushed inside was no ox-man. Judging by the slender form and flowing long hair she saw, it appeared to be an elf. Running footsteps approached the tent, flinging the flap open. An ox-man glanced around with quick eyes, apparently missing the intruder, and ran on about his way. Viddathari slept on.

 

Aravae narrowed her eyes at the shadowy figure, who waited several more long moments before breathing a sigh of relief. They turned and looked at Aravae and her breath hitched. “...Felassan?”   
  


“Well, well. If it isn’t Aravae.” The elvhen man stepped more into the candlelight. His snowy white hair was pulled back into a ponytail, though his bangs still fell around his eyes. He had piercing amethyst eyes and dark grey vallaslin, marking him as a former slave to Mythal. “Where have you been all this time?”

 

“Where have  _ I _ been? Where have  _ you _ been? What are you doing here?”

 

“Ah, but  _ am _ I here?” He held his hands out, gesturing to the tent.

 

“What does that mean?”

 

He grinned. “Come on,  _ strategist _ . Focus.”

 

Nearly as soon as he said that, everything changed. Felassan vanished and Aravae could feel sweat pouring down her head and neck. Her breathing became more ragged. Viddathari was awake, standing just before her, watching intently. The ox-men were guarding the entrance to the tent. She bit down a curse and groaned as it registered that it felt like her insides were burning up.

 

She was vaguely aware of Viddathari speaking. “So you  _ do _ know who Felassan is.”

 

Damn it. She’d been hallucinating. Whatever she had dunked the herbs in must have been absorbed by her skin. What all had she said? Had she been saying other things, without realizing it? How long had she been like this? In a rising panic, she yet again reached for her magic. This time, she couldn’t hold back the nausea. She turned her head just in time and vomited. Thankfully, there wasn’t much in her stomach. 

 

“Stop trying to use your magic,” Viddathari scolded. “We won’t let you. We don’t want to cause you more unnecessary discomfort. Please, just tell us what we want to know.”

 

“ _ Never _ ,” she spat in elvish.

 

Viddathari shook her head. “Very well, then.”

 

* * *

 

“Solas,  _ damn it _ , will you just stop for a moment and listen to me?!” Bull snapped.

 

Solas had stormed off the moment he’d convinced Bull to give him a few locations to check for Aravae and the other qunari. They’d already stormed two of them and they had been empty, which only sent Solas into more of a fury. His magic raged and swirled around him. Each step, he had frozen the ground. He had all but ignored Bull, Ena, and Blackwall as they’d hurried after him. He’d growled and smashed his fist through a wall when the first location had been empty. He waved his hand angrily and had burned down the second hut. All the while, Bull had been calling out to him, trying to get him to listen to something he had to say. It was approaching afternoon of the second day since her kidnapping.

 

Finally, Solas stopped and slammed his staff down against the ground, turning with a tightly clenched jaw, and hissing, “ _ What _ is it,  _ tal-vashoth _ ?”

 

Bull stood in front of Ena as she’d taken a step back, reeling from his anger. Blackwall stood beside him, his gaze fierce. Bull held his hands out soothingly. “Look, Solas. We want Aravae back. But you  _ cannot _ just go and attack the qunari and kill them. If you do, you’re all but declaring war on them.”

 

“Your point?”

 

The icy tone in his voice sent a shudder down Bull’s spine, but he didn’t flinch. “It isn’t just you waging war on them. They’ve recognized that you and Aravae are within the Inquisition. If Inquisition people attack them, they will come after everyone.”

 

“They don’t have to know it was Inquisition if I kill them all and take her away, where your qunari spies won’t be able to find her.”

 

“What help would you be to Ena, then? You know that Aravae won’t abandon her.” Bull took a closer step. “Screw your head back on right. You’re worried, we get it. We’re all worried about her. Let’s rescue her the  _ right  _ way.”

 

“The right way?” Solas scoffed, his brows furrowing. “You think I don’t remember what you’d said before? Keep a person awake long enough, ask the right questions, give the right potions, and you can get them to say anything? You and I both know  _ damn well _ that they are  _ torturing _ Aravae right now...and you want me to  _ not _ kill them?”

 

“In order to prevent war on another front,  _ yes _ . Let’s find where they are, first, then we’ll come up with a plan to sneak in and grab her.”

 

“If she comes back with us to Skyhold, they’ll know that we were the ones who did it anyways. What’s the point of not killing them?”

 

“They won’t admit to losing a prisoner. Unless they’ve already sent word back, they’ll just tell their superiors that they weren’t able to capture either of you. If they have and they tell them they lost her, they’ll all likely be killed. The Qun won’t have use for people who can’t do their job.”

 

Solas scowled and turned away. “We have to find her, first. We’ll see how merciful I’m feeling after that.”

 

As the elvhen stalked away, Bull breathed a soft sigh of relief. At least he’d gotten him to listen, even a little bit. He glanced over his shoulder at Ena, who was attempting to look determined, but still looked a little shaken. “Are you alright?”

 

She cleared her throat. “Yes, fine. Let’s go. After all that, we’d better not lose sight of him.”

 

It was approaching evening when Solas dampened his magic so that he wouldn’t be seen as easily. He hid in the shadow of trees and peered down a hill. The other three rushed up to take a look. They’d found the camp! However, in the glow of twilight, it appeared as though they were beginning to break it down. Supplies were being loaded onto the small wooden boats, which were making trips to and from a dreadnaught that was anchored not far off shore. Solas cursed darkly in elvish.

 

“They won’t have taken her on board yet,” Bull said quickly. “They won’t load her until they’re ready to move. She should still be down there. Look, there’s only four tents to check.”

 

“We won’t be able to wait for cover of darkness to check,” he snapped back. “They’ll be gone by then. There are too many people in camp. We won’t get through unseen.”

 

“We’ll create some sort of diversion, then,” Blackwall suggested. “Some will be loading the ship, so they’ll be out on the water. We can lure more of them away from camp and leave it for you to check it out.”

 

His lip curled up in a snarl, but Solas huffed with defeat. “Fine. Let’s get moving.”

 

Ena and Blackwall threw hoods on and covered any sign of Inquisition sigils. They all agreed that Bull shouldn’t be spotted, either, but they didn’t have anything to cover his face with, so he was going to hide in the shadows as backup for Solas, should he need it. The Inquisitor and Grey Warden were going to fire a few arrows into camp before running off, making sure they were going to be pursued. Once it emptied out enough, Solas would move quickly, using his fade-step to investigate the tents. What was going to drive him insane was the waiting. With every passing minute, they were losing more light and the camp got packed up even more. There was at least now one less tent for them to check. 

 

At last, when the time was best calculated, Ena and Blackwall shot several arrows into the camp, close to someone who would notice. Several people - vashoth, elf, man, and dwarf - looked up and shouted in alarm. Several of them grabbed their weapons and began to run up the hill. Ena and Blackwall darted off into the trees. Bull had warned them that if any of the qunari caught up, they would go in for the kill. The qunari weren’t supposed to be in Thedas. 

 

When the camp was mostly emptied, Solas sprung into action. He quickly made his way down the hill, making sure to not disturb too much gravel and that he wasn’t seen. There were now only a handful of people in camp and most had directed their attention to where the others had run off to. He called on all the magic he needed, moving with quick fade-steps to cover more ground. He slipped his head into the first tent. He didn’t see Aravae within, so he went on to the next one.

 

His heart seized.

 

She was there, kneeling and bent over on the gravel, chained to a tall metal stake in the ground. She was making no sound, but he could see her body shuddering from where he was. With a quick sweep of his eyes, he didn’t see anyone else inside, so he hurried in. He rushed to her side and took her face into his hands, lifting her head and brushing her hair from her eyes. “Ma vhenan?”

 

She opened her eyes, but they were glassy, unfocused, and exhausted. She made no response. His rage burned through him tenfold. What had they done to her? He could see no physical evidence of abuse, but… She was pale, soaked with sweat, and he could barely even feel her aura. He could also smell the vile scent of puke in the air.

 

They deserved to die. Every single one of them. But first, he needed to get her out of there.

 

He examined the cuffs around her wrists and summoned a small lightning bolt. He struck the same spot several times until the small chain connecting them broke away. He caught her as she sagged forward, scooping her up effortlessly into his arms. He peered out and around the tent. He didn’t see anyone, so he stepped outside quietly, waiting for a moment before performing a fade-step, making his way back up the hill and into the safety of the shadows. He waited, glancing over his shoulder, making sure that they weren’t spotted or being followed, then set her down, out of sight. Bull rushed over, immediately beginning to examine her.

 

He sighed with relief. “It doesn’t look like they gave her qamek. That’s a good sign.”

 

“What part of  _ this _ is a good sign?” Solas demanded coldly and with little patience.

 

“If she’d been given qamek, she wouldn’t be in any pain. She would be a mindless doll right now. Normally, that’s what they give to captured mages immediately, but they must not have because of her knowledge they wanted. Can’t get information you need when you wipe out the mind of the person you need to get it from.” He focused his attention back on Aravae. “It looks like… Yeah. They gave her a mixture that forces hallucinations, illness, and exhaustion. They likely also gave her something to suppress her magic so that she couldn’t use it. They probably realized quickly that she’s too spirited for an Arvaarad.”

 

“What do we do to counter it?” Solas inquired urgently.

 

“We need to get her out of here, first. I can gather some herbs along the way. We need to meet Ena and Blackwall at the rendezvous point. Ah, don’t you do it,” he added, seeing the way Solas glared back towards the direction of the qunari camp. “Let’s  _ go _ .”

 

Solas shot daggers at Bull, but picked up Aravae, cradling her tightly to his chest. “Hold on, ma vhenan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I decided to be nice and not make you all wait longer than necessary to chug this chapter out. ;D I hope it was worth the wait, still!
> 
> My original plan was to have Solas go in and just kill them all. Unfortunately, I screeched to a halt because...REASON. LOGIC. Damn it, Qun. Well...things could still happen, I suppose... ;3
> 
> Thank you all for you lovely words, your guesses on what happens next, and all the kudos. Truly, you are all amazing and you're seriously the reason I'm able to write so much every week. I love you guys so much. <3
> 
> Just a small reminder that you can check me out on my Tumblr! I post previews, answer questionnaires, and have all sorts of insider information on Aravae and Ena! Hope to see you all there and I will also see you soon with the next chapter. <3


	32. Chapter 32

_ Battle cries and shouts rang in the air all around her. She stood in the middle of the fight, looking around desperately. Neither blade nor arrow touched her. It was as though she was a phantom.  _

 

_ “Sister!” _

 

_ She recognized that voice. She would recognize it anywhere. She spun, searching for its source, and spotted Nuvian, rushing towards her. He shoved people out of his way. His eyes were wide and fearful. He reached a hand out to her. She started to reach back. _

 

_ He fell to the ground as an arrow protruded from his spine. Aravae backed up, shaking her head, her lips parted. _

 

_ “Aravae!” _

 

_ “Mamae!” _

 

_ Dread gripped her heart as she turned again. Rienmar was locked in battle with an enemy, though his eyes kept flashing towards Aravae. Behind him stood Estelar, though she was in her more mature form, as Aravae had imagined she would look when she grew up. She was throwing fireballs at anyone who tried to sneak up on Rienmar from behind. Aravae cried out and sprinted towards them.  _

 

_ Both fell; Rienmar to a sword and Estelar to an arrow. _

 

_ Aravae choked on a sob, barely able to look at their still, blood soaked bodies.  _

 

_ “Lethallan!” _

 

_ Now when she looked up, all the faces of those clashing around her were those she recognized. Ena and the Inquisition forces were attacking Solas and other ancient elvhen. Neither side showed remorse as they fought madly to overcome each other. Ena was the one who had called out to her, looking at her pleadingly before swinging her daggers towards Solas, who blocked with his staff. _

 

_ “Stop it!” Aravae snapped, tears running down her cheeks. “Why are you doing this?!” _

 

_ When a grunt of pain reached Aravae’s ears, she looked just in time to see Varric stumbling backwards, blood staining the front of his armor. Before him stood Raynia, lips pulled back in a sinister smile. Aravae turned her head again and saw Felassan landing a blow on Vivienne. Then Ena sliced Solas’s arm. _

 

_ She tried to call on her magic to make them stop, but it wouldn’t respond to her. She tried time and again, begging for her power to come to her aid. She couldn’t just stand by and let her friends slaughter each other. Why were they even doing it? What had caused it? _

 

_ A flash of green light caught her eye. She glanced upwards and saw the shadowy silhouette of who she assumed was Corypheus, hovering above the battlefield, Solas’s orb floating just beside him. His maniacal laughter echoed around her, pressure building in her ears. She glared at him just before having to press her hands against her ears, trying to drown out the sound of his laughter. _

 

* * *

 

“I’ve done all I can, Solas,” Bull mumbled. “She’s just going to have to wake on her own.”

 

Solas sat on a small stool beside of the cot where Aravae lay, restless, murmuring, drenched in sweat, but not waking. Banal’ras was on the other side of the cot, keeping watch. They’d rushed back to the nearest Inquisition camp, Bull shouting for ingredients and demanding to know if they had a medical tent. Thankfully, no one else was injured currently, giving them the privacy they needed. Bull had grabbed herbs along the way as they met back up with Ena and Blackwall. He took a few other things and mixed them together in an awful smelling liquid. With Solas’s help, they’d propped Aravae up and forced it down her throat. She’d choked a little on it, but they managed to get her to hold some down. 

 

Without looking away from her, Solas whispered lowly, “Get out.”

 

Bull hesitated, but thought better of it. “...If she starts convulsing or vomiting, shout for me.” Though the elvhen made no gesture or grunt of acknowledgement, Bull knew that he’d heard him. He sighed and made his way towards the tent flap. He set a hand on it, then paused. He didn’t look back, but he murmured, “You know that I never intended for this to happen, Solas.”

 

“ _ Get. Out. _ ”

 

Bull ducked out of the tent and into the humid air. For once, it wasn’t raining. He looked up towards the grey sky, sighing deeply. Ena and Blackwall rushed over to him. “How is she?”

 

He pinched the bridge of his nose and gave them a worried look. “I gave her something that should help. Right now, she’s just...trapped in nightmares, most likely. I know as a mage, that makes her more vulnerable than most, what with demons and such.”

 

“She’ll be fine,” Ena insisted almost immediately. “She won’t get possessed.”

 

He grunted and rubbed his neck. “I’d like to think that too, but...realistically speaking, her mind has to be a bit messed up right now. Normally, for the Qun to take a prisoner and have that person be a mage, they’d normally give her a poison that would wipe her mind, leaving her a blank slate. However, since she had information they wanted, they wouldn’t do that. In those circumstances, they would take their time and do their best to convert her. Judging by her current state, I can assume that they felt that they didn’t have time to do that. Likely, whoever was in charge of this was given permission to do whatever they wanted in order to get the information.”

 

Blackwall crossed his arms. “This whole thing seems awfully intense.”

 

“Bull…” Ena looked up at the tal-vashoth with hurt in her eyes. “Why did you do it?”

 

His shoulders visibly sagged and he averted his gaze. “It was weeks ago. I was confused. In the Qun, you should never be confused about your role or question whether what you’re doing is right or wrong. But the longer I was with you, with the Inquisition, the more unsure I became. I already felt like a tal-vashoth in my heart and it...made me panic. I was looking for a way to prove to myself more than anyone that I  _ wasn’t _ tal-vashoth. At the same time, I clearly failed in that since I did not report all the details of what I knew to the Qun. I could tell how much courage it took for the two of them to admit who they were and I just turned around and betrayed it.”

 

It was silent once he finished speaking. Blackwall looked a bit conflicted, his eyes not focused on Bull any longer. Ena all but whispered, “And now?”

 

“Now…?”

 

“Are you still confused?”

 

“Confused, no,” he replied thickly. “But...lost, yes. I’ve come to realize what’s important to me. You, the Inquisition, its cause, my Chargers...they’re practically family to me. I’ve...never had that before and I couldn’t imagine losing it. At the same time, I’ve just lost everything I ever knew. It’s a bit bittersweet, I suppose.”

 

Ena broke into a small smile. “You couldn’t control what they did after you gave them a little bit of information. In a way, you still protected them. It may have been much worse if they truly knew who Aravae and Solas were. You’ve found things that are important to you and that will help get you through. And Aravae will be fine. I know it. She’s stronger than anyone I know.”

 

Bull stared at her in awe for a moment. “How do you do it?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Stay so positive?”

 

She scoffed lightly, her smile becoming ever so slightly unconvincing. “Someone has to do it.”

 

“Nonsense,” Blackwall interjected. “Remaining positive and hopeful, even in the face of struggle and despair is a powerful strength all of its own.”

 

“...Thank you,” she said softly. She cleared her throat and looked back up at Bull. “Let’s go let the Chargers know. I know they’re sick with worry, too.”

 

“Yeah. Let’s.”

 

It was a long night that crept into day. Thankfully, it seemed Aravae was having no other ill side effects, but she still slept on. Solas did not leave her side, even for a moment. Banal’ras meandered around the tent, pacing from time to time when he hadn’t been taking a quick nap. Ena brought them food to eat, but when she went by later to get the trey, she saw Solas hadn’t even touched his. She wasn’t about to try and urge him to eat. He was too concerned to focus on anything now other than Aravae. Just as she went to leave, she heard him mumble softly, “I can’t find her in the Fade.”

 

That sentence gripped her heart with ice. “What do you mean?”

 

He didn’t answer.

 

The day passed at an agonizingly slow pace. Bull made an attempt to go in to check on Aravae, but Solas didn’t even speak a word. He turned, glared threateningly at Bull, magic gathering around him, and the tal-vashoth took the strong hint to get out. As it turned out, Ena was the only one who wasn’t immediately chased from the tent, so Bull sent her in to check for specific symptoms, just to ensure that what he had given her was working properly.

 

The second morning, the requisitions officer approached Ena with a salute. “Ma’am. We’ve got this wagon here, loaded up with things to go back to Skyhold. We’ve cleared a spot where Lady Aravae can ride in it, so that you can get her back without having to move her uncomfortably.”

 

Ena gave a firm nod and thanked the officer. She went to go tell Solas. He still seemed uncomfortable to move her, but he agreed that he wanted to get her out of the cold, damp air of the Storm Coast and back into safe territory. He tucked Aravae’s bangs behind her ears and lifted her with ease while Ena gathered the blankets for both padding and warmth. As Solas exited the tent, Banal’ras close on his heels, Ghilana let loose a low grunt, her eyes glued on the figure in Solas’s arms. Solas settled her into the wagon, Ena helping to cover her in blankets. Without warning, once he found room, Banal’ras hopped up into the wagon and promptly laid down, his body close to Aravae’s. Though Solas didn’t care for it, there wasn’t enough room for him to sit in the wagon to continue his vigil. He’d also needlessly weigh the wagon down, making their progress slower. He instead patted Banal’ras and murmured, “Keep an eye on her, falon.”

 

Banal’ras’ gaze made him believe that he understood.

 

The others mounted up and began their journey back to Skyhold in silence. Solas rode just behind the wagon, as close to Aravae as he could be. At the least, he hoped they would get there more quickly than normal. Regular bandits may have tried to ambush them if it were only a few of them, but with a few soldiers, the Chargers, and the rest of them, he doubted any would feel confident enough to try anything. Their only other concern would be red Templars, but they hadn’t spotted any the entire time to coast, so perhaps they’d moved on elsewhere. Currently, none of that mattered.

 

The first couple days were uneventful, thankfully. The Chargers kept a short distance ahead of the others, scouting to ensure that the pathway was safe. They came across one small group of bandits, but disposed of them quickly. Then a bear had been spotted not too far off the trail, but once it saw the group, it ran off into the trees. All the while, Aravae had slept, not stirring a bit. They tried to rouse her to at least get her to eat or drink, but she couldn’t even do that. Solas and Ena managed to get some water down her throat, but nothing else. They didn’t want the risk of her choking.

 

Just as they were getting up into the Frostbacks, Banal’ras sprang up from his position in alarm, looking down at Aravae. Solas sat up in his saddle and saw Aravae jerking under the blankets. He shouted for the wagon to stop as he jumped off of his hart. Banal’ras leapt out of the wagon to get out of the way as Solas climbed in, examining her. She was sweating and having convulsions. He snapped, “Bull!”

 

Within mere seconds, Bull appeared at the back of the wagon, digging into the bag around his shoulder. As he pulled a vial out, he grunted, “Damn it. She can’t swallow right now. In that case…” He pulled out another, larger vial. “Hold her as still as you can. Turn her on her side. Give me an arm to work with.”

 

Solas immediately shifted her and pulled her right arm out from under the blankets before trying to find a way to keep her still without hurting her. Bull pulled the cork out of the vial with his teeth and carefully positioned it over her arm. He tipped it and poured the contents onto her skin. Some rolled off and onto the blankets, but he helped Solas to keep her arm as still as possible, letting the strange liquid rest there and slowly absorb into her skin. Bull could see the questioning gaze Solas was giving him out of the corner of his eye. Without raising his head to look at the elvhen man, he said, “They likely gave her some of the same stuff. It’s absorbed through the skin. This is, too. I thought she’d maybe fought through the worst of it, but for her to have a reaction after this long can only indicate that they gave her a lot of it.”

 

Hearing that didn’t necessarily make Solas feel better. What did was when Aravae slowly began to stop shaking. Once they were certain that she was okay, they rolled her back over, both men sighing heavily. Solas pulled out a kerchief and dabbed at her mouth and cheek where she’d drooled and spat up a bit on herself. He all but froze when she moaned softly, her eyes fluttering open. Her gaze was clearly not focused, but she squinted, seeming to recognize who was at her side. “Solas…?”

 

“Yes, it’s me, Aravae.”

 

Without warning, a tear slipped from her eye and rolled down the side of her face. “I don’t...want to sleep,” she croaked.

 

Solas frowned deeply. “Why?”

 

“I don’t want...to…” Aravae’s eyes slid closed again and she didn’t stir any further. Solas looked down at her with concern. Since he hadn’t been able to find her in the Fade, he could only assume a very powerful demon was tormenting her and taking advantage of her current mentality. She was likely experiencing terrible nightmares and he could do nothing to help her.

 

He clenched his jaw. No. She would get through this, like how she’d overcome many obstacles before. She was strong - stronger than he was, that much was certain. It didn’t mean that he wasn’t worried about her, though. Any poisons dealing with Qunari were unfamiliar to him, especially since he’d send Felassan to go and try to assimilate with them so that he may learn more. However, the Qunari were...very adept in rooting out people who they could tell truly didn’t want to convert. Felassan had been forced to flee and barely got away with his life. He’d tried another time or two, but his agents had been deemed unwilling and had vanished.

 

Damn the Qunari. Damn them and their ways. Damn how they took away individualism and people’s ability to think for themselves. Damn them for wanting to force their ways on the world, unwilling or not. Just...damn them all. His angry eyes shifted to look at Bull, the tal-vashoth the current target of his fury. If he had just  _ thought _ for himself, if he had just not said anything after they trusted him with their secret - with their  _ lives _ \- then Aravae would not be in this position. However, his rage suddenly felt misplaced as he noticed the genuine expression of worry on Bull’s face as he looked at her, pondering over what she had said before falling unconscious once again. Bull’s face hardened and he gave a curt nod to Solas. “She’ll be fine. She shouldn’t have any more reactions after this. Let’s get moving.”

 

Without waiting for a response, Bull left the wagon, assuring Ena and the others that Aravae was stable again. Solas hesitated, but he pulled himself away from her side after he pecked a small kiss to her forehead. The moment he was out, Banal’ras hopped back up and curled up at her side, right where he’d been.

 

He mounted back up, keeping a closer watch on her for the remainder of the journey.

 

She’d stirred vaguely twice in the last legs to Skyhold, but she didn’t retain consciousness either time. When the fortress came into sight, Solas felt some relief. Perhaps the ancient magics there, along with his own potential healing and some easy resting for her would finally pull her back to him. The inner circle and council members were waiting at the gate, Ena having sent word ahead about what happened. They offered to have a healing tent, just for her, to let their medics take a look at her, but surprisingly, Bull was the first to politely decline. He said, “No offense, but I doubt any of your medics have any training on Qunari poisons. I’ve been giving her antidote. She’s gotten over the worst of it and now she just needs rest. She’d probably be more happy to wake up in her own bed.” He then gave a small bob of his head to Solas. To his own shock, Solas found himself giving him a look of silent thanks.

 

Ghilana made a displeased sound as Solas carried Aravae away and up the battlements. One of the stablehands shushed her and rubbed her neck, leading her away to be taken care of. Banal’ras kept close to Solas and Ena followed along quietly, helping to carry Solas’s things. In that moment, when she realized she wasn’t carrying Aravae’s staff or dagger, her heart plummeted into her stomach. The Qunari must have taken them. Aravae would be devastated when she woke and didn’t have the staff blade or the dagger. Those were the last things she’d had from her brother and her husband. She’d taken such tender care of them and always made sure she had them with her…

 

_ Fenedhis, _ she grumbled in her mind.  _ Can’t she just...get a break? Catch her breath? _

 

Ena went ahead to open the doors for Solas, which he murmured thanks for. Ena set his staff and bag against the wall, then pulled back the covers for Solas to set Aravae down in. As he pulled them up over her, she murmured, “Just...let me know if you need anything, Solas. And please let me know when she wakes up?”

 

“Of course,” he said softly. “Thank you.”

 

Feeling that those two words carried more weight than what she thought he was thanking her for, she furrowed her brows. “...What for?”

 

“For being a true friend to her. For caring for her. For...giving her reason to live. I cannot thank you enough for that.” He sounded so weary and tired. When he turned to face her, she could see all the age in his eyes. “If you had not...I may never have found her again.”

 

She smiled gently. “That is nothing you need to thank me for, Solas. Just make sure she gets better.” She jumped slightly when Banal’ras bumped his head against her leg and she slowly rubbed him. “Yes, you help too, Banal’ras.”

 

Without giving Solas time to say anything more, she slipped out of the room after casting one last concerned look towards Aravae. The door shut and her footsteps went down the stairs. Solas pulled the chair away from her desk and set it beside the bed. He settled in for a long afternoon. Banal’ras sat at his side for a time and Solas absentmindedly stroked the panther’s fur.

 

As time dragged on and it seemed that Aravae was resting peacefully, Solas dragged his eyes over to her desk, where she had a decent amount of books stacked up. He spotted one that caught his eye and went to go pick it up. He cast one more look at Aravae as he sat back down, then opened the book and began to read. It was a bit dry, telling him of the Fourth Blight from the viewpoint of survivors and Grey Wardens. 

 

He didn’t get too far into the rather thick book. It was beginning to grow dark outside, signalling early evening, when he heard a soft moan come from the bed. He lowered the book quickly, leaning forward. Aravae was slowly blinking and shifting in the bed. She raised a hand to her head, rubbing at her temple. As she glanced around the room, he saw confusion set in. “S...Solas? Where…?”

 

“You are safe, vhenan,” he assured her quickly. “Do you not remember? We came and rescued you. We’re back in Skyhold now.”

 

“I…” She shut her eyes tightly. “I don’t fully remember. I just know I’ve had...horrible, horrible dreams.”

 

“It’s okay now. You’re awake. How do you feel? Can I get you anything?”

 

She let her arm rest back down on the bed. Her eyes pried open again. “I am not sure yet… I just have a headache, but…” She trailed off. Upon hearing her voice, Banal’ras roused from his sleep and sat up, propping his head on the bed close to hers. Though her lips did not quirk upward, Solas saw her eyes light up slightly. “Banal’ras. You’re here, too.”

 

“I will go and let Ena know that you’re awake. She wanted to know, so…”

 

“I’ll be fine.”

 

He nodded and made his way out of the room, shutting the door quietly. As it turned out, he didn’t have far to go. Once he went down the first flight of stairs, he spotted Ena’s bright red hair down on the bottom floor of the tower. Beside her, both sitting on the floor, was The Iron Bull. It seemed as though Bull had been on the verge of dozing off, but Ena elbowed him in the side as she jumped to her feet. “Is she awake?”

 

“She is.”

 

“Can we see her?”

 

_ We _ . It didn’t slip past Solas as his icy gaze fell to Bull, the tal-vashoth rising to his feet as he rubbed his eyes quickly. He gave a curt nod to the pair and they all headed back up the stairs. Solas went back into the room first, then stepped out of the way. Ena rushed in, nearly running to Aravae’s bedside, opposite of Banal’ras. She grasped at Aravae’s hand, clearly squeezing it. “Oh, lethallan, you have no idea how happy I am to see you awake. I knew you would make it, but I’m just  _ so _ glad you’ve finally opened your eyes…”

 

Aravae grunted quietly. “Take it easy.” Ena gasped and all but dropped Aravae’s offended hand. “It would take more than that to take me out. You know that.”

 

“You had us worried there for a time, Saar.”

 

At Bull’s voice, Aravae’s eyes hardened. She slowly turned her head towards him, Solas also keeping an eye on him. Bull attempted at offering a smile, but when it did nothing, he dropped it quickly, hanging his head. His shoulders slumped forward and he took a few steps closer to her. He knelt down on the floor at the foot of the bed, guilt swimming in his eyes. “Aravae. You know that I didn’t intend for any of this to happen. Yes, I...told the Qun about there being agents of Fen’harel, but I told them nothing more than that. I advised them not to take any action, but they-”

 

“Stop,” Aravae interrupted. Bull’s words died in an instant. She then tilted her head to look back at Ena. “Have you forgiven him?”

 

Ena pursed her lips. “He explained it to me. He was genuinely confused, torn between which side of life he belonged on. He just realized it after he told the Qun about you.” Her expression became gentler. “He helped us track you. He has hardly slept since we rescued you. He gave you the antidote to whatever they gave you.”

 

Now that Solas looked, he could see the dark circles under Bull’s eyes and the strained red veins on the sides of his eyeballs. That would explain why he’d been about to fall asleep mere moments ago. As angry as Solas was with him, he couldn’t deny that he could see Bull had been genuinely concerned for Aravae’s wellbeing.

 

“I see…” The silence was thick and practically foreboding as Aravae pondered things over. She muttered, “I would still probably be dead without you, even if you indirectly caused this. I cannot forgive you right away, Bull, but...let’s just say, as Varric so poetically puts it, that you’re on my shit list.”

 

“I can deal with a shit list.” One side of Bull’s mouth quirked up a little. “But speaking of which, how are you feeling? Tell me everything. Hungry? Nauseous? Headache? Dehydrated?”

 

Aravae paused. “Headache. I am starting to feel hungry… Thirsty, too. My throat is a bit sore. Beyond that…”

 

“What about your magic?”

 

She frowned. “I can...feel it, but I wouldn’t want to try casting anything right now. I’d be most likely to burn the tower down.”

 

“Do you remember anything?” Bull asked more gently. Solas finally moved out from his corner and went over to Aravae’s desk, silently observing. “What anyone looked like? What they did? What they asked you?”

 

Her brows furrowed deeper. She recalled Viddathari and what she looked like. She vaguely recalled the other two ox-men. She relayed it to Bull, who just listened intently. Then came the hard part. “I remember...they took me into a tent. In their camp. Then...they chained me and kept me drugged so I couldn’t use my magic. They…” She looked towards Solas, eyes widening. “They asked me if I knew Felassan.”

 

“Felassan?” Ena echoed.

 

“We’ll explain later,” Solas said quickly. “So they suspected him more than I thought, after all. Do you remember if you said anything about...well, us?”

 

“I...can’t remember,” she hissed with strain. “I don’t believe I did, but… I can’t say that for certain. Solas. Why was Felassan trying to infiltrate the Qun?”

 

“It’s...complicated.” When Aravae didn’t budge, he sighed softly. “Very well. When I woke nearly a year ago, it was Felassan who found me first. I quickly discovered the eluvians were no longer activating for me. He was the one to explain to me why and what had become of the world. I told him to discover who was now controlling the eluvians and to retrieve the new password at any means necessary. It didn’t take him too long to find out. Remember the elven ambassador at the Winter Palace? Briala? It is her. However, time passed and he was unable to obtain the password. During that period, I learned of the Qun and the potential threat they posed. I pulled Felassan away, though he advised against it. I set new agents on the task of recovering the password for the eluvians while I had Felassan attempt to learn more about the Qun. He’d done well, but before he was ‘fully converted’, his cover was somehow blown. He barely escaped with his life and is now in hiding. However, if you recall, he is also a very talented Fade-walker. He and I meet in the Fade, in the case the Qun were to catch up to him. We don’t want to tie him to us.”

 

“But… He is alive, too?”

 

“Yes. He is.”

 

Ena cleared her throat softly. “I take it Felassan was someone important?”   
  


“He was essentially like me - Fen’harel’s most trusted.”

 

“There’s apparently more of you ancient elvhen than originally thought, huh?” Bull mumbled.

 

Aravae gave a small shrug before coughing hoarsely. Ena frowned. “We’ll let you rest. I’ll bring you some food. What sounds good?”

 

“Surprise me?” she croaked.

 

“I can do that.” Ena gave her a small smile. “I’ll be back.”

 

Once Ena tapped Bull on the arm and the two left the room, silence hung in the air. Aravae went to try and sit up, but hissed in pain and faltered. Solas hurried to her side and helped her up, propping pillows behind her to make her more comfortable. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

“Don’t fret so much, Solas,” she scolded. “I’m fine.”

 

“I know I shouldn’t...and I know you don’t want me to, but…” He leaned forward and kissed her brow. His eyes slid shut and he rested his forehead against hers. “I am sorry. I can’t help it right now. To have seen you like that...it...did more than catch me off guard.”

 

She brought a hand up and grazed her nails along his scalp before resting her palm on the back of his neck. She let her eyes slide shut as well. Solas felt her warm breath tickle his skin as she whispered, “I am here. I am not going anywhere. I am not going to leave you alone, ma vhenan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! Sorry it took me a little longer than normal to get this chapter out. Life kind of kicked me in the ass several times in a row and I lost my writing motivation for a bit. I am getting better now after stepping away from it and taking a few days to recover. 
> 
> Oh! I did participate in Inktober - in writing form, of course. I posted a separate piece for it on AO3 that you can find under my dashboard. All 31 days have to do with Monachopsis, my OCs, and the world as it is in my story. Feel free to check it out! Consider it also a small peace offering for taking longer than normal. :)
> 
> Alrighty! Drum roll! Felassan IS alive in my story! Egads. I know. I'd planned from the beginning of having him appear, so mayyybe you'll get to see him soon as I envision him. It should be...quite interesting.
> 
> As a last note: while the end for this story is in sight, it is still a ways off. However, I am beginning to think ahead to the next project. I've had a bit of encouraging feedback on Tumblr, but wanted to extend this idea to all of you lovely readers here as well. I am planning on writing a story about Aravae and her time in Arlathan during Elvhenan times. It would start from her earliest memory and probably go until she and Ena leave together for the Conclave. I am just curious to see how many people would actually be interested in reading it, so just please let me know!
> 
> Okay, I think that covers everything. I hope to see you all again soon! Thank you so much for everything you all do in supporting me! It's what gets this story written. :)


	33. Chapter 33

After Ena brought Aravae her food, the Inquisitor excused herself and told the two elvhen to let her know if they needed anything at all to let her know. Aravae thanked her and slowly worked on eating the broth she was brought. Solas sat silently at her side, as did Banal’ras, both watching her carefully. After several spoonfuls, Aravae murmured, without looking at him, “I’m not going to break right in front of your eyes, Solas.”

 

“Of course not, I’m only...thinking.”

 

“What of?”

 

“Iron Bull.” He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. “I just don’t see how you-”

 

Aravae interrupted him. “I would rather not talk about that right now.”

 

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, as if wanting to say something more, but he was unsure about it. He then sighed and said, “As you wish.”

 

She nodded and continued eating her broth. It was making her feel a little queasy, but in exchange for the warmth and it filling her belly, she wasn’t going to complain too much. She finished it without too much trouble and passed the bowl to Solas, who set it on her desk for her. She looked at him with a watchful gaze and noted the dark circles under his eyes. “You look like you could use some rest.”

 

“I will get some soon enough,” he assured her. “Just not right now. What of you? Shouldn’t you get some, as well? Now that it can be restful.”

 

An uncomfortable fear grabbed at her chest. “I just slept for days,” she grumbled. “I don’t want to sleep more.”

 

He gave her a look with a mixture of sympathy and knowing. “Do you want to talk about the dreams you had?”

 

“Dreams,” she scoffed spitefully. “They were worse than nightmares. It was more like watching all of the horrible things that have happened in my life repeat over again and again, though each time, it was something a little different, a little worse.” Her voice cracked slightly and she fought to keep it as steady as she could. “I almost… I almost gave in, Solas. I almost just didn’t care anymore. I’m so weary of watching my little girl die. Watching Rienmar die. My brother… And then I can see all of you, fighting and killing each other. I just...wanted it all to end.”

 

Solas’s arms were then wrapped tightly around her. He pulled her towards him and tucked her head against his chest, holding her tightly, as if worried she would vanish before his eyes. “You are here now. You are awake. You are safe.” He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I am sorry.”

 

“For what?” she inquired softly, wrapping her own arms around his torso.

 

“I promised I would protect you and I failed. I failed so horribly.”

 

“There was no way you could have predicted what would have happened. You are no god, after all.” She’d said those words to him so many times. She knew that he held himself to a high, impossible standard. After decades and centuries of fighting for the freedom of the People, having to maintain appearances and endeavor to not let people down, he needed to be reminded from time to time that he was just a man. He couldn’t perform the impossible, just the highly difficult.

 

“I should have stayed with you until we were certain of what he had done. You were right to be suspicious. I...gave him too much credit.”

 

“If you had been there, too, we may have both been taken and then where would we be?” She pressed her cheek against his chest and sighed as he began running his fingers through her hair. “I don’t think I could have withstood seeing you like that...watching them do to you what they did to me. I may have just told them everything if that was what it took for them to stop.”

 

“What...did they do?” When she stiffened, he quickly added, “We do not have to speak of it if you do not want to.”

 

Her body began to tremble without her permission. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself, but she couldn’t so easily do that. “I just… I’ve never felt that... _ powerless _ before,” she choked. “I couldn’t use my magic. I couldn’t easily have fought against them. And then I started having these...hallucinations. Like my own mind had turned against me, and-!”

 

Solas shushed her. She hadn’t even realized that her voice had been rising in a panic. Her breath shuddered as she exhaled, clinging to Solas, trying to root herself in the moment. As he’d said, she was safe. She was no longer in danger. She could feel her magic alive and crackling inside of her. She wanted to use it, release it, but she couldn’t do that inside.

 

No...not inside. She pulled back from him just enough to look into his face. “Will you take me up?”

 

“Up? You want outside?”

 

“Yes. Please.”

 

“Of course.”

 

He helped her up out of bed, offering a sturdy arm for her to use to brace herself with. She took a few slow, wobbly steps to test herself. Her knees shook underneath her, but she wanted to do this. When Banal’ras started to follow, she gestured for him to stay. She didn’t want to accidentally strike him. The panther tilted his head a little, but thankfully, stopped following after them. Solas opened the door leading up to the top of the tower and they made slow progress up the stairs. Once they were out there, Aravae took a deep breath of fresh air, letting it fill her lungs. Even her headache seemed to fade away a little. She gave a small, grateful smile to Solas and carefully stepped away from him. She held her hands out in front of her as she faced the mountains, her back to the main area of Skyhold. She called on just a sliver of her power and electricity crackled around her palms and up her fingertips.

 

She took a deep breath and let her magic flow from her hands, aiming it up towards the sky. She felt a shift in the aura around her and could sense that Solas had cast a barrier over himself, just in case. It was a good thing he did. Where she could normally have perfect control, sending large bolts of lightning up into the darkening clouds as evening crept up, it also sparked around her body, a few smaller bolts leaping in a direction she hadn’t intended. She knew Solas would keep an eye out and prevent any stray bolts from striking Skyhold or any innocents walking nearby. But she needed this release. She needed it terribly. She needed to have some sort of sense of normalcy and of control.

 

She released as much of her magic as she could until she began to get lightheaded from draining herself. When she stopped, her shoulders sagged and she sighed heavily. She felt warm hands squeeze and massage her shoulders. “Era’tarasyl’nin, indeed,” Solas mumbled into her ear before shifting her hair over a shoulder and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her neck. “Do you feel better?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good. Do you want to go back inside?”

 

Now that he mentioned it, the air was rather biting as the sun sank beneath the peaks of the mountains. She shivered lightly and nodded in response. They made their way carefully back inside. As she rubbed Banal’ras on his head, she lowered herself down onto her bed. She glanced down at her clothing, seeing how grimy and ruined it was. She suddenly felt like taking a long, hot bath, but she didn’t have the energy for it. She could at least change. She requested if Solas could get her a fresh pair of undergarments from one of her drawers. He cleared his throat softly, but obliged. “Don’t you want fresh clothes, too?” he asked.

 

She hummed in her throat with a slight frown. She slipped out of her dirty clothes and put on her clean underwear that Solas handed her. She then tugged at the bottom of his sweater, pulling him closer. He raised a questioning eyebrow until she began lifting the sweater up. He chuckled softly and pulled the sweater off from over his head, leaving him in his sleeveless tunic. He handed it to her and she slid it on, sighing softly at how warm it was. It was only slightly large on her, though not by much. She shifted and pulled the blankets up so that she could crawl under them. She laid on her side and glanced at Solas, patting the empty space beside her. He smiled softly and lowered himself under the blankets beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. She curled her arms and hands up against his chest while her head rested in the crook of his neck. She wasn’t ready to try sleeping again just yet, but she didn’t mind just laying there, comforted by his hold and presence.

 

* * *

 

When morning came, Aravae first jerked with panic, realizing she had fallen asleep. However, she then realized how well rested she felt. She may have fallen asleep, lulled by Solas’s soft breathing, but she hadn’t had any nightmares. Likely Solas’s doing. When she had stirred, so did he. His arms left her body as he slowly stretched, groaning quietly before yawning. His eyes blinked slowly a few times, fighting to stay open. He looked at her and smiled sleepily. “Did you rest well?” he asked.

 

“I did,” she confirmed, sounding as tired as Solas looked.

 

“I’m glad.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Shall I go fetch some breakfast shortly?”

 

She took a deep inhale of breath, glancing towards the window. “Is it actually still morning?”

 

“It is not as late as it could be,” he replied with a small grin. “I’m sure there is still breakfast to be found.”

 

“I’m impressed.” She slowly sat up, Banal’ras perking up from his spot on the floor beside her. She rubbed his head, then slid around to let her bare feet touch the floor. She tested her weight and was pleased to find that she wasn’t as wobbly as she had been yesterday evening. There was still a slight shaking in her legs, but she figured it was from not having eaten a proper meal in days. She held her head up and said, “I feel better today. I believe, if you wouldn’t mind assisting me just a little, that I could go with you. I don’t want to stay cooped up.”

 

“If you’re certain.” She heard Solas sit up in bed behind her. His hand rested on her hip as he gave it a light squeeze. “But I would need that back.”

 

Aravae glanced down, confused for a moment. She had forgotten she’d stolen his sweater to sleep in. It fit her nicely and it was quite warm. She rested her hand atop his for a moment before stepping out of his reach, walking over to her small dresser so that she could pull out fresh, casual clothes that she normally wore around Skyhold. She tossed them onto the bed and walked back over, tugging the sweater off over her head. She handed it back to Solas with a small, sheepish smirk. He took hold of it with a thoughtful expression. When she raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes lit up with a twinkle, as if he’d decided on something.

 

He set the sweater aside and lifted his wolf jaw amulet over his head. He gestured for Aravae to come closer. She obliged, though she did with furrowed brows. When she leaned over and he slid it on, the leather thongs resting on her shoulders, she touched the jaw while staring intently at him. She murmured, “Are… Are you sure?”

 

He took her hand in his, placing a kiss to the backside of it. He gazed up at her confidently. “I am entirely certain, I assure you. You know why I kept it. I needed to remind myself to stay true to my path, to free the People, to not let the rest of the pantheon win. When I awoke, I twisted its meaning. I was willing to destroy the world and potentially everyone living in it in order to try and restore what was lost. But you’ve helped me to see the error in doing it rashly. You’ve...brought true meaning back to it.” He reached out with his free hand and traced his finger along the jawbone. “I don’t need to carry it with me any longer. As long as you are by my side, vhenan, I won’t need something intangible to remind me of an important lesson.”

 

Aravae felt stunned. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his brow. “I promise to take good care of it.”

 

“I know you will.”

 

The two smiled at each other before parting to ready themselves for the day ahead. They got dressed, Aravae attempted at taming her hair a little, and with her arm looped through his for support, Banal’ras led the way out of the tower and down the battlements. Any guards that they met along their path made sure to step aside, waiting patiently until they had passed before they moved on. They made their way through the great hall, then into the rotunda. Solas had Aravae sit on the couch he had and told her he would be back soon with food. She nodded and leaned against the cushioned back of the furniture, sighing softly. When she heard footsteps coming down the stairs from the library, she sat a little more upright.

 

Dorian’s head peered out from the doorway before he stepped into the open of the room. He gave Aravae a concerned smile. “She lives. Ena told me what happened. Bless her, she was barely keeping it together.” He sank onto the couch beside her. “How are you holding up?”

 

She hummed and leaned back once more. “I’m most concerned that you aren’t giving me more sarcastic banter.”

 

“I most certainly could, if that’s what you really want. I can delve into a monologue about how dreadful it was here without you, then how serious the mood became once we got Ena’s letter. I’m fairly certain that there has been someone tailing Bull since your return.” He narrowed his eyes rather intently. “But wit and banter aside. Truly, tell me. Are you okay?”

 

“I’ll be fine, Dorian. It’ll take some time, but I will get better soon.” She tilted her head towards her, forcing up a small smile. “Thank you.”

 

“And...what of Bull?”

 

“I don’t want to talk about that right now,” she replied quickly. She had the feeling that she’d be saying those words an awful lot over the next several days. What were people expecting her to say? What could she say about the man she had put faith in, only for him to turn around and betray her? Sure, she had given Ena a reason to feel a little more secure and not let her think constantly that Aravae wanted to kill Bull, when in reality...she kind of did. She was tired. Too tired to deal with her mixed emotions right now. Her first step was to get back to normal, which she doubted was going to happen as quickly as she’d like.

 

Thankfully, Dorian didn’t press the matter. “I understand. And where has your all-powerful protector gone off to?” He glanced around the empty rotunda. 

 

She scoffed lightly. “He isn’t all-powerful.”

 

Dorian’s eyebrows raised. “Oh? But wasn’t he a god?” He made sure to keep his voice low.

 

“Only proclaimed by the people. Much like how they call Ena a Herald against her will.” 

 

“Hmm. That sounds right. No one who believed themselves to be a god would dress like he does.”

 

Aravae couldn’t help but laugh at that. It felt good. She hadn’t truly laughed at something in quite some time. It hadn’t been the first jab at Solas’s wardrobe and she highly doubted it would be the last. Though the smile that came with her laugh didn’t fade away yet, she said, “You seem to have taken that whole situation fairly well in stride, in comparison to others.”

 

“Well, when one factors in how we’re fighting against some ancient Tevinter magister that has learned the secret to effective immortality… Two elves from long ago don’t seem so far-fetched, hm?”

 

“That sounds...surprisingly reasonable when you put it that way,” she admitted.

 

“It’s been known to happen from time to time.” Dorian perked his head up and clapped his hands together. “Ah, but here comes your precious hobo now! I will excuse myself. Do remember, Lady Witch of Storms, that if you require rescue for other companionship, I implore you to remember that I am just a floor above!”

 

Solas frowned in confusion as he approached them, carrying a tray of food. “Do I even want to ask?”

 

“Doubtful.” She pulled her legs up onto the couch to sit cross-legged. 

 

Solas carefully sat beside her and balanced the tray in his lap. He’d gotten her more broth and some slices of bread along with an apple. She frowned slightly with disappointment at it only being more broth. Solas handed her the bowl and said sympathetically, “We don’t want to take it too fast. Let your body relax a little more before we try feeding you more solid foods. You don’t want to throw it up. We want to ensure you can keep it held down.”

 

She sighed as she took her first spoonful. “I know. It just...makes me feel like I’m being coddled and that is the last thing I want.”

 

He took a spoonful of his own broth. “I know. You will be back in top shape in no time.”

 

She grunted, to which he raised an amused eyebrow.

 

They finished their broth and bread, then Solas sliced up the apple, handed pieces over to Aravae. Though she still felt hungry, she was beginning to feel slightly queasy, so she went ahead and stopped, not wanting to push herself and get sick. For curiosity’s sake, she handed a slice of the apple to Banal’ras. He took it, and ate it, though he didn’t look particularly pleased about it. Solas took their dishes back to the kitchens and when he returned, his face was grim. Aravae narrowed her eyes with concern. “What’s wrong?” she demanded.

 

He offered her a hand and helped her up. “It will be easier to show you.”

 

Dread built up inside her as he led her out the rotunda and to the stone bridge that connected the tower to Cullen’s. Solas stopped and pointed towards the gates. Aravae looked and felt her stomach drop. Ena was standing by a wagon of bodies - the bodies of Clan Lavellan. Aravae could tell that she was holding it together, but only just. Many eyes were on her and she could see the tears Ena was holding back. She squeezed Solas’s arm. “Please take me down there.”

 

He obliged without hesitation. They made their way down to the courtyard by the gates. Just as they’d arrived, several servants came by with buckets of water and rags, setting them down by Ena. She nodded silently in thanks at them. When she spotted the two elvhen and the panther approaching, Ena’s brows furrowed and her bottom lip quivered. Still, when she spoke, she tried to sound less than devastated. “Oh. Aravae. You’re well enough to be up?”

 

She glanced towards the wagon. So few of the clan had been able to be recovered. There were only twelve bodies resting atop each other. The smell was far from pleasant and flies were buzzing around incessantly. Aravae clenched her jaw. “I told you I wanted to help, Ena. Let me help you.”

 

“But… Do you feel well eno-?”

 

“I’m going to help.” Ena fell silent and gave her a grateful nod. “Would you prefer to do this somewhere more private, or…?”

 

“I...want to bury them just outside of Skyhold. There’s...more room and it’s out in the open.”

 

“I understand.” She peered around quickly. “And...where is Bull?”

 

“I told him I wanted to do this alone.”

 

“Very well. Let’s go, then.”

 

Solas offered to help them at least carry the buckets of the warm water out for them, but otherwise, he wouldn’t cross any lines. He cast a spell on the buckets to make them float and he picked up the rags. Ena looped her arm through Aravae’s, offering her support. With her free hand, Ena took the reins of the horses pulling the wagon and started leading them. Banal’ras ran on ahead of them, flying through the snow.

 

“Even now, I can just feel everyone staring,” Ena murmured as they walked along the bridge out of the fortress.

 

“I’m sure they are all concerned.”

 

“They are waiting to see if I break,” she retorted rather bitterly. “To see if I’m mortal after all.”

 

“What’s the worst they would say? The Inquisitor has feelings after all, just like a normal person?” Aravae raised an eyebrow. “I think everyone is too scared to say anything negative about you, at this point.”

 

“Why do you say that?”

 

“They know they have a scary witch to go through.”

 

That made Ena cracked a small smile. “Indeed. I did see your magic last night while I was out on the roof. What was that about? Are you okay?”

 

“Yes. I just needed to...reassure myself, I guess you could say. My magic has been my whole life and I...hadn’t been able to use it.” She took a deep breath. She refused to let herself sound weak or get choked up, though she could feel her pulse begin to race. “It was...unsettling. So I just needed to prove to myself that I was okay and that my magic was still there.”

 

Ena exhaled sharply. “Aravae, I’m-”

 

“Don’t apologize,” she interrupted shortly. “You have nothing to apologize for. Let’s just...focus on the task at hand, okay?”

 

“...Okay.”

 

Ena picked a spot close to the treeline around Skyhold. Solas set the buckets down and cast a quick fire spell to melt the snow around them and the ground where they were to dig. Aravae then cast a spell to gently lift the bodies from the wagon and one by one, side by side, lay them ground. Once they were unloaded, Ena requested Solas to take the horses and the wagon by to Skyhold and to bring a couple of shovels. He nodded and did as she asked.

 

The two women grabbed warm rags and set to cleaning the bodies, Ena mumbling regretfully that she wished she had clean clothes to bury them in. Aravae remained silent. They cleaned the filth and grime from their skin, Ena telling wistful tales of the people who they were tending to, tales of before Aravae had joined them. She listened intently, occasionally humming to assure Ena that she was paying attention. All in all, there was Deshanna, four men, five women, and two children. Ena’s grandmother was not among them. The two of them did not want to think about what had happened to those that Leliana’s agents were unable to recover. 

 

When they heard the crunching of snow behind them, they turned, wondering if Solas had returned. He had, but he was not alone. The rest of the inner circle was there, as was Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine. Many of the men were holding shovels, as was Cassandra, Sera, and Leliana. Aravae looked at Ena and saw that the Dalish woman was struggling greatly to hold back tears. She made a strangled noise, almost like a gasping laugh, and wiped at her eyes. “Ir abelas, I… I was not expecting this.”

 

“We didn’t want to intrude, but...we figured we could at least see if you needed a hand,” Cullen said softly.

 

“I don’t know what to say,” she blubbered.

 

“Just tell us where you would like us to start digging,” Blackwall offered.

 

Once Ena pulled herself together, the others all went to work. Aravae asked if those not digging could gather a large amount of firewood, which they set out to do. With the joint effort, in no time at all, they were able to start burying the dead. Aravae and Ena lowered the bodies in once the holes in the ground were deep enough, waiting until all twelve were able to set within. Ena stepped back and said some words that trembled, blessing the deceased and praying that they could find solace in the Beyond. She glanced towards Aravae and the woman nodded, adding in a few old, ancient prayers of her own. They still rolled off her tongue as though she’d never stopped saying them. 

 

Only when Ena assured them that she was ready did the dirt begin to fill into the graves. She shuddered behind of Aravae, watching the bodies get covered, but she still held her tears back. The others began to return with the firewood, which they began to set in a pile a couple dozen feet away from the graves and away from the trees. By time the graves were covered back over, there was a grand stack of wood. It was starting to shift into late afternoon. Ena looked at the group gathered around her and cleared her throat.

 

“I cannot thank you all enough. I… I have lost my family, my clan. Though we were not necessarily close, it still pains me deeply. Yet...I feel as though you are all my family now.” She gestured out to them, her eyes glistening. “You have accepted my and supported me… Not just because of this mark on my hand, but because...you are all my friends. My family. I...do not think that I could have done this without you. Just...ma serannas. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.”

 

Barely as soon as she’d finished speaking, Sera rushed up to her and wrapped her in a tight hug, which broke Ena’s dam. She hugged Sera back, sobbing into the younger woman’s shoulder. Slowly, one by one, the others came around Ena and embraced her in a large group hug. Aravae started to step back, not comfortable being squished in there with everyone, but Dorian took hold of both her and Solas and pulled them in, which was thankfully on the opposite side from Bull. At last, they disentangled themselves and Ena barked short laughs through her tears. She managed to croak, “I-I’m sorry. I, umm...need to go back to m-my room and ch-change. B-but I’ll b-be right back…”

 

“I’ll go with you,” Bull offered, setting a hand on her shoulder.

 

Once the two had gone off and were out of hearing range, Varric inquired, “Get changed? What for?”

 

Aravae explained quietly, “When there was a death in the clan, they mourned, but they also celebrated the life of the deceased. There was a dance they had and they would do it around a grand fire, telling stories of the deceased’s life. When they did this, they wore brighter colors than they normally do.”

 

Josephine made an exclamation of realization. “Oh, I see. So that’s why… She had asked me to have her a dress made. I thought that was rather peculiar.”

 

“Heh. Indeed.”

 

Leliana shifted towards Aravae and lowered her voice as the others began talking amongst themselves. “I just wanted to personally assure you that I have a constant watch on The Iron Bull right now. Although, I must ask… What do you think we should do with him?”

 

“You’re asking me?”

 

“You and Solas are the ones he truly betrayed. Never mind his personal relationship with the Inquisitor at the moment. If it did not exist, what would you want us to do with him?” She hummed and tilted her head. “It is true that he is officially no longer a Qunari. He is tal-vashoth. However, now that the Qun has been alerted to your existence, there is no assuring you will ever be truly safe. Their spies are...very well trained. He actually came forth this morning to inform me of one he knew of for certain within Skyhold. They have already been dealt with.”

 

Aravae’s eyes stared at the pile of firewood and beyond them. What would she do with Bull as punishment, if it were up to her? She recalled a time or two, long ago, when members that joined Fen’harel’s rebellion were secretly spies for the Evanuris god they were serving. Entire groups were led into ambushes and were slaughtered. However, some managed to grab the traitor and escape and bring them back before Solas. She remembered the burning rage inside of her. All the needless deaths. All the trickery. The betrayal.

 

There had been no mercy.

 

“What would I do?” she murmured aloud. “I would take matters into my own hands.”

 

Leliana didn’t appear too surprised at this answer. She asked, “If given a large enough chance to prove himself, would you trust him again?”

 

“No,” she replied without hesitation. “Not easily, at least.”

 

“I see. And what have you told the Inquisitor about this?”

 

“Nothing. She has enough to think about.”

 

“Understood.”

 

To Aravae’s relief, Leliana stopped pressing the matter. They stood around for a short time longer, talking quietly. Banal’ras rejoined them, leaning gently against Aravae’s legs. Solas wrapped an arm around her when he saw her shiver slightly. The sun was sinking lower, taking its warmth away with it. When they spotted Bull and Ena returning, they all eyed the dress she was now wearing. It was bright red, like her hair, almost the color of blood. It was long, dragging in the snow until she came to the area where Solas had melted it all away. It had a modest u-shaped neckline with black trim and long sleeves. Her hair was completely down and her cheeks were flushed -  both from cold and her crying. She stood in front of the pile of wood. Not wanting to be in the way, the others, who had formed a circle around the pile, stepped back. Only Aravae remained forward. With a wave of her hand and a surge of magic - a little stronger than she’d intended - the pile burst into a roaring fire.

 

Ena took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling. Aravae began to clap her hands in a steady rhythm. Slowly, all the others followed suit. Ena bobbed her head to the clapping, then spun into action. She danced around the fire, stomping her feet, throwing her arms and hands into the air. She spun in circles, a smile on her lips. At one point, she closed her eyes. Likely to imagine the music, Aravae assumed. With the constant beat of the people she’d called her family around her, Ena danced proudly around the fire in honor of her fallen clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I managed to hit the deadline this time, whoo-hoo! I hope you're all well! I hope we all recovered after the roller coaster that was last chapter. All of your reactions gave me such a feeling of accomplishment! For those who thought Bull was going to get off easy - juuust wait. Aravae is a grudge holder and she is angry at being forced to be powerless while getting tortured. A storm is brewing.
> 
> Wow, we're moving right along, aren't we? The Western Approach and Adamant is coming up soon and then the Temple of Mythal. Oooh, man. Buckle your seatbelts, everyone. It's gonna get bumpy and crazy.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you all for your comments! They inspire me to write more and write faster for you all! See you soon!


	34. Chapter 34

Aravae spent the next couple of days focusing on getting better. She made sure to eat full meals and was scolded when she started trying to push her body too far. Sitting around, even with books to occupy her, made her feel incredibly antsy, like she should be getting something more done. Solas remained with her and ensured that she was recovering well and that there were no lingering side effects from the poison she’d been given.

 

During the time she’d been cooped up within Skyhold, she’d gone out of her way to avoid Bull. She wasn’t ready to face that situation just yet. She wasn’t even certain entirely of how she’d handle it. Part of her was afraid to find out. She did not condone violence when it could be avoided, but when she recalled how he put her in the situation that made her the most powerless she’d ever been in her life, a terrible anger bubbled up inside of her. When she thought of her dearest friend being close to him, it gave her horribly conflicted feelings.

 

When she’d heard from Ena about how two Qunari spies had slipped into the Inquisition soldier ranks and attempted to kill Bull, she listened with a neutral expression. Ena described how grateful he’d seemed to Ena for making him realize that he needed to choose his friends - his family - over the religious following that he’d been questioning. He’d killed the people himself and threw them from Skyhold’s battlements. She could tell that Ena knew that Aravae truly had not forgiven Bull, or even began to, but she never addressed it. She only seemed to try and be the peacekeeper between the two.

 

The news arrived that Hawke and Stroud had tracked the movements of the disappearing Grey Wardens to The Western Approach and when it was decided that they would be on the move, Aravae refused to be left behind, though it also meant that she would be more likely forced to confront Bull along the way. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she knew she could only count on Ena stopping her from doing something drastic. Solas was perhaps more furious about the entire situation than she was, so if she acted, he would undoubtedly rush to her side to assist her. And Aravae was no fool. She’d seen the quick flashes of concern on the faces of the others in the inner circle. They, too, had seen that he’d betrayed two of their own, but weren’t sure how to go about handling it. It was almost as if everyone was waiting to see what would happen.

 

Though she was still not entirely back to her old self, she mounted Ghilana and had Banal’ras at her side as she rode out with the others. Solas kept a close eye on her, but did not hover over her. Her physical self was almost back to peak condition, but her mental state still bothered her. She battled nightmares and though she had been grateful for Solas’s aid in overcoming them, she had insisted on attempting to get through them alone. For several nights as they slept in their small tent together, she woke with a tremble and a disgusted growl. She was angry with herself for being weak and unable to fend off the terrible dreams on her own. Solas tried to console her, insisting that she was not weak. She had only been rattled and she would find her own way to triumph and come out even stronger than she had been before.

 

She certainly didn’t feel like it.

 

She’d managed to avoid Bull for the first half of the trip. Or perhaps he was taking care to stay out of her way. After they’d fought a few bandits and some groups of red Templars along the way, they were entering the territory of the desert. It was then that she had just finished helping set up the tents when she spotted Bull and Solas speaking together outside of the perimeter of their campsite. She watched as Bull held his hands out pleadingly and Solas’s clenched and unclenched, his jaw tight and his eyes narrowed. Dorian came up to her side to speak with her, but when he followed her line of sight, he muttered something and backed away.

 

When the two approached the camp, Bull walking ahead of Solas and coming towards Aravae, she felt a chill run down her spine. What had they been discussing? What was going on? Though he kept a few feet of distance between them when he stopped before her, she still felt as though he were towering over her. “Saar. Can we talk? Alone?”

 

All activity died in camp and an eerie silence consumed the area. Her cold gaze went from him to Solas, standing just off to the side and behind him. Solas’s expression to anyone else may have just been irritation, but she could see all the other small signs. Whatever he had talked to Bull about, he hadn’t necessarily liked, but he didn’t feel that Aravae shouldn’t go with the vashoth, either.

 

He had his large axe still on his person. Her new staff she’d been given by Harritt was strapped to her back. If nothing else, she had that. She said nothing to him as she brushed by him, heading past the borders of camp, though not before she made a gesture to Banal’ras to tell him silently to not follow. She heard Bull’s footsteps shifting the sand as he followed after her. She could see the burning gaze of all the others watching them. Her heart began thumping with a little more force in her chest, but she refused to show him any signs of weakness.

 

Once they were out of earshot, she stopped and whirled around to face him. He halted abruptly. “What?” she demanded shortly.

 

He inhaled deeply through his nose. “Look. I’ve been trying to give you space. I was hoping maybe some time away from me would help, but it clearly isn’t. I can tell by that look in your eyes every time you look at me that I am in deeper than a shit list for you.” He gestured with a hand out towards the desert. “Soon, we’re gonna be getting into some pretty nasty battles. I’m sure of that. We can’t go into a fight when we can’t trust each other to watch our backs.”

 

Her nostrils flared. This was how he wanted to handle it? Head on? She could deal with that. She was tired of pretending. Her walls came crashing down. “I think I can manage just fine.”

 

“That won’t work,” he insisted. “We can’t go in with this animosity between us. The others are gonna feed off of it and it’s going to screw up our flow in a fight. We need to find a way to settle this.” Without warning, the beast of a man sank down to his knees. Aravae frowned deeply in confusion. “Tell me. Tell me what I can do, Aravae. I understand what you went through and I know that there is no way you will ever fully trust me again. I don’t blame you. I fucked up, big time. I don’t know what to do to prove to you that I am no longer a threat to you.”

 

Aravae wasn’t sure what came over her, but when she blinked, her staff was in her hand, crackling with electricity, reflecting her ire. “You understand?” she scoffed. “You  _ understand. _ Fenedhis.”

 

“I understand as in I know what happened and I know what they did to you. I do not personally know  _ your _ feelings in how it affected you, but I’m seeing the results.” He paused to take a breath. “You aren’t sleeping as well. You’ve flinched each time I sneak up on you, no matter how hard you try to keep me in eyesight. You are  _ angry _ . You can’t keep bottling this shit up. You  _ need _ to let it out.”

 

The sparks spread from her staff to her body. “You want me to let it out?” Her own voice, snarling with rage, was practically foreign to her own ears. 

 

He stood slowly, reaching for his axe. “I know Ena told you about the Qunari spies I killed. Their real target was you. They were heading for your tower when I intercepted them.”

 

“Do you expect a thank you?” she hissed.

 

“No. I just wanted to tell you so that you can understand that I’ve done something more awful than I realized. I’ve put a target on your back.” He brandished his axe, holding it horizontally before him. “I don’t want you to hold back.”

 

With a strangled scream, Aravae fired a lightning bolt at him. He rolled out of the way at the last second, eye snapping towards her to watch and see what she would do next. She shot one after another at him, a few striking the vashoth and drawing forth grunts of pain. She spat curses at him in elvhen as hot tears of rage sprang to her eyes. She spewed a few sentences before switching to their more common tongue. “Do you truly understand what you’ve done to me?!” she shouted, her voice already growing hoarse from her screams. “What you’ve taken from me?! Do you  _ know _ what horrors occurred in my past?!”

 

He narrowly dodged another bolt as he sprang up to his feet. He did not charge towards her at all. He only focused on avoiding her attacks. “No! I don’t!” he yelled back at her.

 

“Do you know what it feels like to have the strength to save someone and being entirely unable to do it?!” She raised her hand and staff above her head, working on casting a powerful cage of lightning. “I watched my own little brother die before my eyes! I fought with everything I had to save my husband and my daughter, but they died just within my grasp!! And  _ you _ -!” she choked, scowling at him, “took what I had left of them! Do you  _ know _ what that dagger and staff blade meant to me?! They were crafted by my husband and my brother! They were the only physical memories I had left of them!” Her voice lowered, dangerously quiet, “Iron fucking Bull, do you know what it’s like to live for eternity? Do you know what it feels like to slowly forget about the ones you loved looked liked? Do you know that pain? You don’t understand a damn thing.” She took a shuddering breath, the tears rolling down her cheeks. Her hair clung to her skin, which was damp with sweat. 

 

He opened his mouth, but she gave him no opportunity to speak. She cast her spell, which encircled him quickly and zapped him mercilessly. He cried out, wincing in pain, but she did not let up until the spell faded away on its own. He dropped his axe and wobbled, struggling to stay on his feet. She dropped her staff and stalked towards him, though her fists were still aglow with magic. “The only thing I had to rely on for the longest time in this world was  _ myself _ . My magic and my own strength. Though it was not done physically by your hands, you still did this to me. You made me  _ powerless _ , just as I felt when I could not save those that meant everything to me - Nuvian, Rienmar, Estelar, and even Solas. Do you know what I would rather do than feel that powerless again?” She paused and stopped, glowering up at him. “I would rather die. I tried to, once.”

 

Without hesitation, Bull wheezed, cradling his midsection with one arm, “Clearly not very well.”

 

The statement completely stunned Aravae, which reflected on her face.

 

“You don’t like giving up. You hate it. Rather passionately, if I do say so myself.” He groaned quietly and forced himself to stand up straight, looking down at her. Amidst her attacks, his eye patch had fallen off, though his other eye remained closed, a nasty scar overtop of it. “Some part of you wanted to live. That’s why you woke up. Some part of you didn’t want to give up, just like now.”

 

With a vexed roar, Aravae sent another wave of lightning through Bull’s body. He jerked and his knees hit the ground. She shoved his axe out of her way and stood before him, shoulders heaving with each furious breath. “You’ve taken something precious from me that cannot be replaced,” she hissed, although her anger was beginning to break down into sorrow. “You’ve betrayed my trust. You’ve betrayed Solas’s trust. How? How am I  _ ever _ supposed to even think about fighting side by side with you, trusting you?”

 

“That’s what...I want you to tell me,” he panted. “I don’t know...if I can ever make up for it… But I wanted...to give you this...opportunity…”

 

“Tell me why I shouldn’t just kill you,” she whispered, grabbing the straps holding his pauldron on and leaning in closer.

 

“That isn’t you. And you haven’t...given me a chance to...prove myself.”

 

“Why should I?”

 

He made eye contact with her. “I care for Ena. I don’t want to be...separated from her yet.”

 

Aravae’s eye twitched and she let go of his straps, taking a couple of steps back. She shook her head and gave off an irritated huff before turning her back to him. She heard him shift around and pull himself to his feet again. How dare he? How  _ dare _ he play the love card. 

 

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, “About your family. Nobody deserves anything like that.”

 

She didn’t say anything in response.

 

“What did they look like?”

 

“What do you care?”

 

“I want to know.”

 

She narrowed her eyes at the sand, looking at all the indentions she’d left when she’d moved around and when her lightning had struck the ground. It was beginning to grow dark out, the air around them cooling. When she looked out towards the setting sun, she pictured her brother’s grinning face. “Nuvian looked...very similar to me. His hair was the same color and was long. His eyes were brown.” She took a breath. Why was she telling this to Bull? She imagined that it was less that she was answering his question and more of her wanting to just talk about them, to keep her memory of them fresh. “Rienmar had straight black hair and...the bluest eyes. Estelar, she was...beautiful. Curly black hair with eyes even more green than mine.”

 

There was a heavy silence that fell between them. Aravae’s arms hung limply at her side. She felt drained. Her throat hurt, her eyes were still watering, and she felt the trail her tears had left when the wind brushed across her skin, blowing grains of sand with it. She heard others approaching them, but didn’t bother to turn and look. She knew who it was that was touching her on the shoulder from behind, even before his voice asked gently in elvish,  _ “Are you okay?” _

 

_ “...I will be, Solas. Thank you.” _ She slowly faced him, seeing the others gathered not far away, watching with mixed emotions. Ena was speaking softly to Bull, her face flushed and eyes tinted a light red. Clearly, she’d been upset about the two people she cared most about going at it with each other. Well, Aravae had just assaulted Bull while he didn’t truly fight back.

 

Though she wouldn’t admit it, Aravae felt loads lighter than she had in weeks.

 

* * *

 

Upon barely even reaching the first Inquisition outpost in The Western Approach, the group went to work. A Fade rift had just crackled open by the camp, which sent everyone into a frenzy taking out the demons before they destroyed everything. When Ena snapped it shut, she looked to Scout Harding with a heavy sigh and asked for the rundown. Harding gave her the locations of all the Fade rifts they knew about, where Hawke and Stroud were, that there were rumors of a high dragon in the area, so a dragonologist was also nearby, the situation at Griffon Wing Keep, how the Inquisition had spent resources taking care of poisonous air that had been leaking out of the ground, and so on. Once they’d covered everything, Ena, Aravae, Cassandra, and Vivienne sat down to make a plan on how to most efficiently handle everything.

 

They finally decided that the group would travel together for a distance, closing rifts and ridding the area of demons. Once they hit a certain point, they would split ways to handle business, with one team going to meet Hawke and Stroud while the other took care of the Keep. Ena had hesitated on what to do with Bull and Aravae, since she wanted both to accompany her. Vivienne suddenly spoke up, asking if the two could cooperate long enough to take care of things. Aravae looked to Bull, who was still sporting some bruises for when she’d lashed out at him. She wasn’t as petty as to put her own grudge above more important dealings, but she would keep an eye on him. She gave a small nod. Bull did as well, after seeing how she responded.

 

Ena, Aravae, Bull, Solas, and Blackwall headed for the rendezvous point with the Champion and the Grey Warden, leaving the others to handle Griffon Wing Keep. Each team wished each other good luck and set out down their different paths. 

 

There wasn’t much conversing as they made their way to where Hawke and Stroud were waiting for them. Aravae kept her mind focused on the task before them and didn’t look in Bull’s direction. She watched as Banal’ras observed their surroundings, clearly unsure what to think of the terrain. He panted heavily and drank plenty when they came across a small spring. She hoped he wasn’t too uncomfortable. When she felt an uncomfortable swirling of auras in the area, she knew they were close. Something felt...wrong about these auras. It made her uncomfortable.

 

When they saw the man and the woman in the distance, their concern was evident. The moment they entered hearing range, Stroud spoke up with no polite greetings. “I’m glad you made it, Inquisitor. I fear they’ve already started the ritual.”

 

“Blood magic, I’d wager,” Marian Hawke muttered with distaste. “You can smell it...or see the corpses.” Aravae had heard about this ritual of binding the Wardens to demons to make an army for Corypheus. The very thought made her blood boil, thinking of more spirits like Wisdom being dragged out of the Fade and twisted into a killing monster. Hawke gestured with her head after casting a curious look at the panther. “Let’s go. You take point. I’ll guard your backs.”

 

With no hesitation, everyone drew their weapons and readied themselves as they walked up towards the unsettling auras. It was as Hawke said - they didn’t have to walk far or wait long for the wind to blow the right way and already, the stench of rotting flesh slamming their senses. Aravae exhaled slowly, fighting against a small gag in the back of her throat. Banal’ras crept along with her on one side and Solas was already preparing his magic at her other side. The closer they got, the more they could see and hear. Aravae heard the whimpering of a man and saw several demons standing side by side with Wardens. Another voice raised up authoritatively. “Warden-Commander Clarel’s orders were clear.”

 

“This is wrong!”

 

“Remember your oath: In war, victory. In peace, vigilance. In death…” One Warden came up behind the protesting one and stabbed him as he turned to face him. “Sacrifice!” A Fade rift that was present above the Wardens and strange man crackled to life and a Rage demon appeared with a gurgling roar. “Good,” the man purred. “Now bind it, just as I showed you.”

 

Just as they walked up to where the Wardens and demons were standing, Aravae frowned, seeing that the Wardens had glowing red eyes, staring straight ahead with mindless expressions. The man standing higher than the rest spoke up with a chillingly pleasant voice. “Inquisitor. What an unexpected pleasure. Lord Livius Erimond of Vyrantium, at your service.” He threw in a low bow, flicking his wrists for show.

 

Stroud stepped forward with a scowl. “You are no Warden.”

 

“But you are.” Erimond sighed and began pacing slowly. “The one Clarel let slip. And you found the Inquisitor and came to stop me. Shall we see how that goes?”

 

Ena inhaled sharply and looked around. “Wardens!” Their heads turned simultaneously to look at her. “This man is  _ lying _ to you. He serves and ancient Tevinter magister who wants to  _ unleash _ a Blight!”

 

Aravae shuddered. Something wasn’t right with them.

 

Erimond gaped in mock horror. “That’s a very serious accusation. Let’s see what the Wardens think. Wardens! Hands up!” As Erimond raised his left hand, so did the Wardens, looking in his direction with those glazed over eyes. “Hands down.” They all lowered. Erimond then rested his hands behind his back with a smug grin.

 

Stroud hissed, “Corypheus has taken their minds.”

 

Aravae felt her anger bubbling up again. Their minds had been tampered with? Their free will had been taken away? There was a flash of the tent in the Storm Coast with Viddathari in her mind for a split second, enough for her magic to crackle around her. Solas tensed at her side.

 

Erimond’s grin broadened. “They did this to themselves. You see, the Calling had the Wardens terrified. They looked  _ everywhere _ for help.”

 

“...Even Tevinter,” Stroud murmured darkly.

 

“Yes. And since it was my  _ Master _ who put the Calling into their little heads, we in the Venatori were prepared.” He scratched his chin. “I went to Clarel, full of sympathy, and we came up with a plan… Raise a demon army, march into the Deep Roads, and kill the Old Gods before they wake.”

 

Aravae cast another look at the Wardens, then back at Erimond. She bristled and, with sparks now crawling along her clothing, she started to lean forward, but Hawke reached out and caught her arm. Aravae whirled around to glare at her, but she returned her gaze unfazed. “Wait,” she whispered.

 

“Sadly for the Wardens, the binding ritual I taught their mages has a side effect. They’re now my Master’s slaves. This,” he gestured to the most recently slaughtered man, “was a test. Once the rest of the Wardens complete the ritual, the army will conquer Thedas.”

 

More words were exchanged, each sentence becoming more and more heated. However, Aravae wasn’t registering them. She didn’t care to listen any further. She was glancing between the Wardens and the strange, faint glow of magic coming from Erimond’s hand. She was quickly working through ideas to try and figure out if there was a way to break the binding and free their minds of the spell, but she wasn’t familiar with such magic. When she glanced at Solas, he seemed just as focused, likely trying to figure out the same thing. His expression, however, appeared a little more angry than focused.

 

She was dragged back to reality when she saw Erimond extend his right hand, which flared with a spell. Ena grunted in pain and fell to a knee, gripping her hand that beared the Anchor. It flared, green light shooting out from it. Bull bent his knees and gripped his axe, ready to go charging in. Blackwall was quickly at his side.

 

“The Elder One showed me how to deal with you,” Erimond said loathingly, “in the event you were foolish enough to interfere again.”

 

Ena grit her teeth and glared up at him, refusing to cry out.

 

“That mark you bear? The Anchor that lets you pass safely through the Veil? You stole that from my Master. He’s been forced to seek other ways to access the Fade.”

 

Ena pushed herself up to her feet, an unamused laugh coming from her lips. She raised her hand up towards the rift.

 

“What’s so funny?” Erimond demanded.

 

“If only you knew,” she scoffed. The magic from her hand connected with the rift, sealing it shut with a  _ crrrack _ , causing Erimond to shout in surprise. He jerked backwards, falling to the ground flat on his back. As he crawled to his feet, holding his hand as though it’d been injured, he screamed at the Wardens, “Kill them!!”

 

The battle erupted with absolute chaos. The mages quickly cast barriers and the warriors and Ena all rushed into battle the demons. They tried sidestepping the Wardens and just parried their blows, not wanting to strike the men down. Aravae even wrapped a barrier around Banal’ras as the panther leapt in, sinking his teeth into a Rage demon. From just beside him, Stroud jumped back with an alarmed cry, not having expected him.

 

“Solas!” Aravae yelled, trying to only cast her spells away from the Wardens. “Any idea of how to break their mind control?”

 

“There is no easy way,” he replied quickly. “As the Champion said, it is likely blood magic. We cannot break it without killing Erimond or possibly even Corypheus himself.”

 

“Wardens! Snap out of it! I know you don’t want this!” Ena called out to them desperately, twirling in and out of their attacks. 

 

“Come to your senses!” Blackwall added. “Wardens should not fall to evil such as this!”

 

“I trained most of these men.” Stroud ducked as a fireball flew towards his head mercilessly. “I don’t want to see them killed.”

 

“I get it, but right now, they’re trying to kill  _ us _ .” Bull winced as an ice dagger flew at him, colliding with his thinning barrier. “Even if we knock them out and take them prisoner, there’s no telling if Corypheus can do more with them or even see through their eyes.”

 

“It’s your call, Inquisitor!” Hawke narrowed her eyes, keeping an eye on the mage Wardens, ready to defend herself and the others. 

 

Ena spun around to look at Aravae. “Can you stun them?”

 

With a nod, Aravae called Banal’ras back. Though it took a moment, the panther retreated back to her side, his tail swishing high from side to side. She focused her magic and formed a powerful ball of electricity. No words needed, Solas immediately strengthened everyone’s barriers just before she released it. It zapped the last of the strength from the demons and brought the Wardens to a halt as their bodies jerked from the voltage. Once she ended the spell, all the Wardens collapsed to the ground, motionless, but alive. Stroud sighed softly. “Thank you.”

 

“Don’t thank us yet,” Ena murmured. “We need to bind them and bring them somewhere for holding until we can think of something.”

 

“The Keep,” Bull suggested. “We need to go see if the others are okay, anyways. There’s likely some sort of cells there.”

 

“Yes, good idea. Come on, let’s bind their hands.”

 

While they procured enough rope to bind the hands of the Wardens behind their backs, Ena, Stroud, and Hawke continued talking about what had just occurred. Judging by the tone Hawke took, she had seen some awful things with blood magic and, if Aravae had to venture a guess, likely it affected people she cared about. When Stroud pointed out the direction and location he believed that Erimond had fled to on horseback, Ena narrowed her eyes with determination. 

 

“The Warden and I will scout out Adamant to confirm that the rest of the Wardens are there and we’ll send a report to you.”

 

“Right. We’ll remain here at Griffon Wing Keep. We’ll move our forces in and bring supplies as well.” Ena rubbed her forehead. “Go ahead and send your message along there.”

 

Hawke nodded and she and Stroud exchanged looks before immediately setting out on foot. Blackwall sighed heavily and set his shield on his back. “How do you propose we move them?”

 

“The Keep isn’t too far. We’ll have to walk. We’ll set them on the backs of the horses and the harts.”

 

“Right. Let’s get to it, then,” Bull said, heaving one of the men up and over his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Welcome again! I hope you enjoyed this (first) confrontation between Aravae and Bull. It was actually quite fun to write, especially with Aravae being as emotional about it as she was. I think I'll go even further with it, because she has no idea his greatest fear is madness, which could also come about from messing around with one's mind, much like how she had happen to her, so perhaps he understands a bit more than she realizes...
> 
> Oh, the ideas!
> 
> Just a quick update! Let me start off by saying that I AM GOING TO FINISH MONACHOPSIS BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. However, it has pretty much been decided I will do a prequel. I have a rough timeline already created, which has soothed my urge to write to it for now. However, due to a popular prompt I wrote on Tumblr about a deaf Lavellan and Solas, it looks like I will be creating another long fic, called The Voice of a God! I'm not quite sure yet what is going to occur in that one or how it's even going to go, but I have a notebook specially ordered so that I can do some major brainstorming and work that out somehow. 
> 
> Beyond that, I think we're all good to go. Next up is Adamant! What, oh what, horrors are going to happen there with me behind the keyboard...? I guess we'll all see! I'll see you all soon! Thank you so much for everything, my lovely readers! :)


	35. Chapter 35

Setting up the Inquisition within Griffon Wing Keep had been a long and laborious task. With the sun baking down on them, the Inquisitor and her team met up with the others who had been charged with claiming the Keep. While they had all been a little battered, no one had been too terribly injured. Since then, there had been a nearly constant flow of Inquisition soldiers and supplies coming in to set up a more permanent location for them. The others helped as much as they could, but they made sure to rest, preparing themselves for the moment when Ena would receive word from Hawke and Stroud. As soon as that report made it to them, they were setting out, no matter the time of day.

 

Aravae tried to keep to the shade as much as she could, detesting being out in the direct heat of the sun. She could feel her skin drying out and it reddened the longer she was exposed to it. She wasn’t used to such an environment, having lived amongst the forests all her life. She would take the cold of the Emprise right about now. Banal’ras had the same feelings, apparently. The panther stuck to the shadows, lying on whatever cooler stone he could find, panting, but watching everything that was going on with a watchful eye. When a group of soldiers returned one evening from a hunt, they even made sure to cut off a large piece for Banal’ras, which Aravae thanked them for. 

 

She was still tending to keep away from Bull and he hadn’t tried to approach her again. However, when he did small things like offer her a canteen of water or give her a pouch that had a cream in it that he told her to apply to her skin to make it feel better, she accepted it with a small, silent nod. She could always feel Solas’s aura probing at the items before she used them, but she said nothing of it. She happened to see Dorian and Vivienne using and passing around a similar cream, so she figured it wasn’t harmful.

 

Hawke sent a report several days later, telling Ena she’d gone ahead and sent one back to Skyhold, because the scale of what they needed to deal with couldn’t be handled with a handful of talented fighters. They needed a larger force. The Keep then began preparing to receive the whole of the Inquisition army.

 

When Cullen arrived with them, things became more tense. They were prepared for a full attack upon wherever the Grey Warden-demon army was hiding out at. Aravae could only remember being in Cullen’s shoes at one point, devising a strategy to ensure both victory and keeping the body count of their own men down to a minimum. She passed by his tent late one night and saw how he still had candles lit and the flap open. He was leaning over a small table littered with papers and he looked incredibly weary.

 

She found herself approaching his tent. She barely stuck her head through and cleared her throat. “May I come in?”

 

He jolted slightly and turned his head towards her. “Forgive me,” he said quickly, shaking his head at himself. “It must have been about ten minutes since someone actually bothered me, so I suppose I started thinking a bit too hard. Er- Not to say that you’re bothering me, I-...” He sighed quietly. “Please, come in.”

 

“Have you even rested since you’ve been here?”

 

“I ate some dinner earlier.”

 

“That doesn’t exactly count.” She glanced at the papers on his desk while absentmindedly rubbing Banal’ras. “What are you mulling over?”

 

“Ah. These,” he gestured to the desk, “are old plans of Adamant. I am not sure if they are even relevant anymore, but I figured it couldn’t necessarily hurt to look at them. We brought modern siege equipment and our men are prepared, but…”

 

“I understand,” she murmured softly. “We aren’t exactly sure what we’re walking into here.” She took a step closer. “May I?”

 

He gave a shrug. “Help yourself.”

 

She hovered over the papers, analyzing them and picturing the fortress that they were to be marching to. “...Do you have a set plan in mind yet?”

 

“Well, I can only imagine there will be men placed here and here, up along the battlements. Mages, archers, demons, even just men with large enough rocks could prove to be a nuisance. We have ladders to be able to scale up and a battering ram to work on the door, but we’ll still lose plenty of men just getting our foothold.”

 

“Hmm… Do you mind if I make a suggestion?”

 

“By all means.”

 

Aravae stayed up far longer than she meant to, talking strategy with Cullen, especially when they were supposed to set out the following morning at daybreak. With mounts, Adamant wasn’t particularly far, but with all the soldiers marching on foot, it would take a couple of days to reach. When she excused herself eventually, making her way towards her tent she shared with Solas, she saw him sleeping on his side, perfectly still, as he usually was. His arms were splayed at his side, as if patiently waiting for Aravae’s presence to fill them. She settled down beside him quietly, trying not to disturb him. His arms shifted, allowing her to to slip into them and sigh happily at the warmth of his body. She closed her eyes and found a few short hours of rest.

 

However, needless to say, that made her incredibly grumpy when she woke the following morning, even if it was to Solas placing a kiss to her shoulder. He only chuckled warmly at her when she only attempted to communicate with grunts and moans. She swatted at him when he did so, but managed to rise so that she could dress. When they stepped out of their tent, the Keep was buzzing with activity. The soldiers were preparing for the march, last minute food getting passed around. Solas went and claimed some for himself and Aravae and the two ate quickly. They made their way down to the gates, where their mounts were ready and waiting. Ghilana made a pleased low when she saw Aravae and Banal’ras. The woman smiled at the hart and rubbed her nose with a smile.

 

Cullen gave commanding shouts to the soldiers and they began to line up outside the Keep. The Inquisitor, Commander, and inner circle all mounted up. Cullen looked to Ena and the redhead gave a decisive nod.

 

“Move out!”

 

And so the marching began. Their progress was not bad, only taking a couple of breaks on the first day. Judging by Cullen’s estimations, they would be able to reach Adamant by the evening of the next day. When they stopped to rest for the night, they did not spent time setting up tents. Everyone unrolled bedrolls and the mages took shifts keeping fires lit for warmth as the cold set in the desert. As Aravae lay on her back, Banal’ras curled up beside her, she gazed up at the stars with Solas, recalling how she used to stargaze with Estelar.

 

She dreamed of her daughter that night and her bright, smiling face as she pointed up at the sea of twinkling stars.

 

The movement and sounds of camp breaking in the morning woke Aravae from her dreams just as the light of day was coloring the sky. She packed up her bedroll and climbed onto Ghilana, her head hanging slightly as she fought off the urge to lean over the hart’s neck and fall back asleep. 

 

With every step that was taken, the tension in the air rose. Everyone could feel that they were getting closer and closer to an enormous battle and that not everyone would make it home. Hopefully, at least most of them could, thanks to the combined strategies of Cullen and Aravae. As they rode, Aravae ran it by Solas and he nodded silently, listening intently and picturing everything clearly in his mind. He offered a few other suggestions to try and help improve it, which Aravae was glad he did. There had been just a small hole or two, but with his assistance, they worked out how to fix them, which Aravae made sure to pass along to Cullen. He nodded gratefully and thanked both her and Solas.

 

She knew when they were getting close. She could feel the pressure in the air and swirling, malicious aura of demons in horrifying abundance. Then, the fortress appeared on the horizon. Cullen called for a halt and went over the updated plan with the soldiers while they rested. The sun was beginning to sink, so torches were lit and passed along through the ranks. Aravae narrowed her eyes at Adamant and, even from a distance, could see the demons and Wardens stalking along the top of the battlements. At the very least, it seemed that the papers Cullen had on the layout seemed accurate enough. It was shaped precisely as she’d imagined. This could work. They could do this.

 

The members of the inner circle need not have spoken. They’d gone over the plan already and knew what each person had to do. As they all dismounted, Aravae and Ena shared a quick glance before giving a determined nod. They would be careful and watch their backs. They would get through this. Cullen shouted an order and from a couple of places within the ranks, horns were blown, signaling for their advance.

 

The time had come.

 

The Wardens up on the battlements gathered, their demons at their side, ready to do battle. Aravae, Solas, and Dorian veered off to remain with the soldiers that were carrying ladders towards the walls. Ena and the others, including the commander, made their way towards the front gate. From here, each of them had to carry out their part as well as they could in order to succeed with a minimum amount of lives lost. Though Banal’ras remained at her side, Aravae kept a small barrier wrapped around him, just in case. Shields were raised when the Inquisition forces came within range of arrows and magic and progression towards the walls were slowed with caution. The Inquisition soldiers then divvied off into separate groups, each one containing a mage. When the ladders began to raise up, Aravae shouted an order and the mages raised as powerful a barrier over the soldiers holding the ladders and the ladders themselves. Battle cries thundered in the air as the soldiers began charging up the wall, the mages’ barriers protecting them all the while. When they got to the top, unharmed, the rest was up to them. When Aravae or Solas saw an opportunity to fire a spell towards the battlements to assist the soldiers up top, they took it, able to spare a little more power than Dorian or the other mages.

 

With the added protection of the barriers, the soldiers were able to make it safely up to the battlements and when there were plenty enough, they began pushing the Wardens back and slaying the demons. When they began shouting down to the others about a Pride Demon, Aravae, Solas, and Dorian raced up the ladders to help, Aravae telling the other mages to stay and continue their work. Even before they made it up all the way, the rumbling, cocky laughter of the demon traveled down to their ears.

 

Aravae grabbed her staff the moment she was on solid ground, her eyes searching for the demon. She spotted it and shoved her way through the soldiers, already calling up more energy for a larger spell. As if noticing the woman approaching it were a challenge, the demon faced her and fire a large orb of electricity towards her. She barely had enough room to dodge it by diving towards the side. Before she was even back up on her feet, she cast two spells simultaneously - one from her staff and one from her hand. Her staff fired several bolts of lightning while her hand, which was in contact with the ground, turned the stone between her and the demon to ice. Though its feet were not frozen, the Pride Demon came to a halt, knowing if it moved, it would slip and topple. Taking advantage of its predicament, Solas and Dorian entered the fray, each casting spells, some high and some low towards the demon’s knees. It gave a frustrated roar as it slipped backwards, falling with a  _ thud  _ that shook the ground beneath their feet. The moment the demon was down, more soldiers leapt towards it, determined to jump in and help dispose of it.

 

Aravae took a moment to catch her breath and glance around. Things seemed to be going well. As well as they could, at least. Not many Inquisition soldiers were lying motionless on the ground. Unfortunately, many Wardens were. She kept looking around, hoping that some of the Wardens would snap out of it and realize that what they were doing was clearly not right. However, the red gleam in their eyes never faded until the moment they took their last breath. She saw a small faction of soldiers starting to get overrun by demons, so she ran over to help them.

 

Their progress was slow, but confident in defending and advancing along the battlements. Aravae spared a moment as she took a sip from a lyrium potion Dorian offered her to hope that Ena and the others were faring just as well.

 

That was when the universe decided to laugh in her face and a roar shattered the air. She snapped her head up and instinctively ducked down as the strange looking dragon that had helped destroy Haven appeared, flying over Adamant. It circled a couple of times, its eyes focused on one area in particular. Then, it started breathing fire. She turned to Solas quickly. It had to be Ena that it was after. He locked eyes with her and nodded grimly.

 

“Go! Help the Inquisitor! We’re fine here!” one of the soldiers shouted from nearby.

 

Aravae didn’t need to be told twice. In the next moment, she, Solas, and Dorian took off, fade-stepping through the battle to get out of the way of obstacles and cross more distance in less time. When the dragon landed on part of the fortress that was out of their view, Aravae felt fear grip tight at her heart, but she didn’t slow down. It took several moments after she had seen it for it to register that when she had gone through the courtyard, she had seen Wardens fighting against Wardens. Perhaps not all of them had been taken over, after all.

 

When she and the two men came to backside of the fortress, the came to a screeching halt as they quickly saw a troubling situation. They were at the backside of the dragon as it stalked towards Ena and the others, who were on a bridge that appeared to be crumbling and hovering over an abyss. Just underneath the dragon, there was a Grey Warden woman laying on her back, blood pouring from wounds on her midsection. The dragon crouched and jumped. Everyone tensed. Aravae was about to spring into action, but the Warden, who was a mage, zapped the dragon with a spell, catching it off guard. The beast crashed down on the far side of the bridge, then fell over the side. Within seconds, it was airborne again, heading up higher in altitude. Down on the bridge was chaos.

 

Ena and the other inner circle members were running as fast as they could and helping others up and over the edge that were starting to fall. The bridge was chipping away, fast. Aravae and the men raced towards them, trying to see if they needed help. A few of the others cleared the bridge and made it to safe ground, but a couple were straggling behind, fighting gravity. Aravae saw Ena slip and barely catch her fingers on the edge of solid stone, preventing her fall into the abyss below. She darted towards Ena and, with Bull’s help, they hoisted her to her feet. Bull pushed Ena ahead and hurried just behind her. Aravae yelped with surprise as the ground started to shift underneath her feet. She felt Bull’s hand grip her upper arm tightly and practically throw her forward, trying to get her to safe ground. However, the rest of the bridge collapsed as a whole. There was a flash of green before Aravae shut her eyes, waiting for the moment her body would crash to the ground.

 

When she felt the air stop rushing in her face, she dared to open an eye. She was hovering just above…? Below…? The ground. She felt entirely disoriented and the lighting of the surroundings was not anything like Adamant. Before she could comprehend what had happened, her body landed hard on the rocky surface. She’d been  _ above _ it. She sat up with a groan and rubbed her lower back.

 

She looked around and saw some of the others around her: Ena, Hawke, Stroud, Solas, Bull, Cole, Sera, and Varric. Hopefully that meant that the others were safe...wherever they were. Where were  _ they _ ? None of the others appeared hurt, so she observed their surroundings, searching for signs of familiarity or danger. When her eyes landed on something she’d never thought she’d see, she couldn’t restrain her gasp. In an instant, Solas was at her side, his eyes locked on the exact same thing she was looking at. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and turned to address the concern that was beginning to grow. “No. This is the Fade.” While he sounded concerned, it seemed he couldn’t hold back the awe in his voice. “The Inquisitor opened a rift. We all came through...and survived. I never thought we would ever be able to come here physically…” He gestured with his hand upwards to what he and Aravae were looking at. “Look. The Black City, almost close enough to touch.”

 

The sound of panicked breathing was enough to snap Aravae out of her stupor. She shifted and saw Cole, stumbling around, gazing at their surroundings with wide, fearful eyes. “Cole?”

 

“I can’t be here,” he said quickly and surprisingly forcefully. “Not like this! Not like me!”

 

“It’s alright,” Solas interjected soothingly. “We’ll make it right.”

 

“This place is wrong,” Cole insisted. “I made myself forget when I made myself real, but I know it wasn’t like this.”

 

“I don’t remember it being like this, either,” Hawke agreed.

 

Those with collected minds talked quickly, trying to decide more on how to escape than how they got there. The others who were not quite as calm looked around frantically. Sera muttered curses, shrinking away as if she could melt into the shadows. Bull also seemed to be talking to himself, though his voice held a higher degree of sarcasm. “‘Hey, Chief! Let’s join the Inquisition! Good fights for a good cause!’ I don’t know, Krem. I hear there are demons. ‘Ah, don’t worry about the demons, Chief! I’m sure we won’t see many!’” Bull grumbled darkly, then hissed, “Asshole.”

 

“You, umm...doing alright there, Tiny?” Varric inquired, Bianca already primed and loaded in his hands.

 

“If I get possessed, feint on my blind side, then go low. Cullen says I leave myself open.”

 

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

 

“Come now.” Aravae took a step closer, keeping her voice even. “Right now, the safest thing to do is remain calm. Chances are, if you are unnerved enough, it may summon demons, like how it can for a mage when they sleep.”

 

“Like they won’t find us anyway?!” Sera snapped, though her anger was not directed at Aravae. The older elvhen could see the terror in the young elf’s eyes.

 

“Take a deep breath, Sera,” she encouraged calmly, breathing deeply as well. “It’s okay. We’re here together. No one is getting possessed, nor is anyone getting killed.” She held her hand up and let her aura observe the surroundings of what they could not see. “Our magic is stronger here. We have a solid advantage.”

 

Before Sera could say anything more, Ena stepped to the center of everyone. “Okay, everyone. Let’s get moving. We’re going to find the rift that was open in the courtyard. Solas says he believes a type of Fear Demon controls this area, so we need to be alert. Things could pop out at any time.”

 

“No shit,” Varric muttered under his breath.

 

They started to move slowly, the entire group on the lookout. Solas was unable to contain his fascination of what they were experiencing and continued to speak aloud, working through thoughts he had. His attitude didn’t necessarily help many of the others, but for Aravae, to see him in such a mental frame, despite where they currently were, it lightened her spirits ever so slightly. She even made a few comments on what he was talking about. She couldn’t deny she was also curious about many things, but she still had a harder grasp on the immediate danger. If there was a Fear Demon in control of the area, it could be quite powerful. No matter how tough anyone seemed, they always had some sort of fear that could be exposed. 

 

They didn’t get too far when Aravae felt a pulse of some sort, triggering warnings in her brain. She heard a strange noise from up above and shouted when she tilted her head upwards. She, Solas, and Hawke cast simultaneous barriers as  _ something _ crawled down the rocks towards them. Currently, it looked like giant spiders, which made Aravae scrunch her nose up. The unsheathing of weapons rang out in the air as everyone prepared for battle. The spiders jumped back and forth as they descended towards the ground, dodging magic and arrows that were shot at them.  _ The pathway is too narrow for this, _ Aravae thought with irritation. They were more likely to hurt each other in such close quarters, rather than only the spiders.

 

As they got closer to the ground, the group was forced to shift around and move further away from each other. Once the spiders touched down, everyone tensed and readied themselves, trying to prepare to make quick, careful strikes. Aravae kept her staff in one hand, but reached for the new knife she had at her waist, frowning at how uncomfortable it was in her hand. It was nothing like her old one. Still, it would do.

 

The warriors and rogues bearing knives jumped at the spiders while the mages and archers tried to stay out of the way, yet find small openings to make a quick contribution to the fight. Aravae was trying to keep an eye on the one that Ena and Varric were working on; So much so, that she didn’t keep a full watch on her surroundings. Something smacked into her back and jerked her backwards so violently, she barely managed to keep hold of her weapons. She yelped with surprise and struggled to stay on her feet. She twisted around and saw that one of the spiders had spat some webbing at her, which was clinging tightly to her clothes.

 

“Saar!” Bull jumped out of the fray and ran towards her, raising his axe and bringing it down over the webbing, separating it from her back. She was just about to smack her rear on the ground, but after she stumbled for another step or two, she caught herself. She spun around and shot a fireball towards the spider that had tried to snag her. It let off a high pitched squeal as it caught fire and burned, thrashing around on the ground. She looked towards Bull, about to give him a breathless thanks, but they only made eye contact for a split moment. He glanced off to the side and his eye widened. “Move!” he shouted as he practically plowed Aravae down, shoving her backwards. As her view was obstructed, she heard a loud, crashing ruckus that sounded like stone on stone. That was, until her back slammed against the ground and she wheezed as the breath left her body in a rush. Bull had at least taken care not to land on her. He hovered over top of her, wincing occasionally, until the clattering had stopped.

 

He sat back and moved with a soft groan and Aravae pushed herself up. Somehow, in the heat of the battle, a large pile of rocks had come tumbling down, cutting Aravae and Bull off from the others. From atop the standing rocks that had outlined the path, she could see the spiders racing away. She stood up and approached the massive pile. “Ena?! Solas?!”

 

“We’re okay!” Ena shouted a few moments later. “Is Bull-?”

 

“He’s over here!” Aravae fell silent as she looked from side to side. The pile was too high to scale and there was too much in the way for her to try and move it forcibly with magic. There wasn’t a space where they could crawl through to return to the others. Aravae cast a look at Bull over her shoulder and spared a split moment to curse her luck. Likely, it wasn’t even luck that had stuck her with Bull, out of all people. It was most likely the Fear Demon. “We’ll have to look for another path! Keep on going! We’ll find a way to rejoin you!”

 

“...Are you sure?”

 

“Yes. Be careful!”

 

“You both do the same!”

 

Aravae turned and leaned her back against the rocks and heaved a sigh. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose after sheathing her knife. When she opened them, she looked towards Bull, whose back was towards her. It had several open cuts that were bleeding. Had he shielded her from falling rocks?

 

She narrowed her eyes and stepped towards him. “Stay still,” she murmured as a warning, so as not to startle him. She raised her free hand and poured a little bit of healing magic onto his wounds. Once they sealed shut, she cleared her throat and glanced off to the side. “...Thank you.”

 

“It was nothing,” he replied. “I doubted you wanted to be flattened out, so…” He twisted his head around, trying to get a look at his back. “Thanks for that.”

 

She nodded curtly. “Come on. We shouldn’t remain stationary. Let’s move.”

 

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

 

They wandered around the more open area, trying to find another path that they might be able to take. Every time Aravae’s eyes passed over the Black City, she shuddered. She wasn’t certain she wanted to be there. Not when they had a higher chance of running into demons than helpful spirits or wisps. What she wouldn’t give for Wisdom to be there to help them.

 

They found another small path to take, one nearly too narrow for Bull to fit, what with the width of his horns and all. He scraped and grunted with frustration on occasion, but they made some progress. When they made it through the path and into another more open area, two new paths to be decided on, she slowed down, tensing slightly as she felt the warmth of Bull’s body just behind her. She looked towards the one on the left, then jerked once she looked at the right one, her back pressing up against Bull’s front side. 

 

Standing there at the beginning of the path on the right was none other than Falon’din. He stood tall and proud, just as she’d remembered. His expression was cold and harsh, his hands clasped behind his back. “Aravae. Just what do you think you’re doing?”

 

“Wha-what? I…”

 

She knew Bull had said something, but she couldn’t make out his words. She’d only felt the vibration in her body from his voice. Her eyes were locked onto Falon’din. The blood rushed to her head, making her dizzy.

 

“Yes, where are you going?”

 

Her eyes darted over towards the left, where June stood smugly. His arms were crossed and his lips were curled up in a sneer. Her breath hitched painfully in her throat.  _ They can’t be real… They can’t be… We’re in the Fade, but...they’re banished. They’re banished somewhere where they can’t reach us… _

 

With a tremble in her hands, she held her staff out before her, electricity crackling along the rod. Falon’din raised an eyebrow. “You dare raise a hand against  _ me _ ? Me, who took you in? Me, who raised you? Who cared for you? Who groomed you?”

 

“For  _ war _ ,” she croaked. She’d wanted it to come out strong and intimidating, but the sight of them there before her had shaken her to her very core. “You only ever wanted to use me.”

 

“So?” June scoffed. “You believed you were special? You believed to be on the level of us? Your  _ gods _ ?”

 

“You are no gods!” she shouted.

 

“Ha! Fen’harel shifted you to be a nonbeliever? How could you be? You’ve seen our power, firsthand.” June’s sneer broadened. 

 

For a split second, Aravae could almost see her dear friend, Elgara, before her eyes, bloodied and lifeless on the ground. She clenched her staff so tightly her knuckles turned white. When Bull stepped around in front of her, she nearly snapped at him, but he suddenly charged towards June, his axe brandished. Aravae’s lips parted and her limbs suddenly felt like butter. What was he doing? Bull was no match for them at all. She was about to see the vashoth slaughtered like livestock.

 

When his axe cut through June, a shrieking spider taking its place, she was stunned and relieved all at the same time. It only took her mind a moment to piece it together. They weren’t real. It was the Fear Demon again, toying with her mind. When she looked back towards the Falon’din look-alike, he was gone, as if he’d never been there at all. She fought to get her breath back, but the shake remained in her hands. Her stance still didn’t relax, even when Bull approached her slowly, looking at her with concern. “You okay, Saar? What was all that?”

 

“You...didn’t see them, did you?” she asked softly.

 

“I just saw spiders. The other one ran away.”

 

She swallowed the knot in her throat and nodded a single time. “It was from the Fear Demon. Those are its minions. They can take the shape of those you fear, to mess with your head. The demon grows stronger, the more fear it has to feed on.”

 

His jaw clenched. “Damned demons. I don’t like this one bit.”

 

“I can’t say I do, either.” She exhaled sharply and finally lowered her staff. “Come on...we should keep moving.”

 

“...Yeah.”

 

They ventured down the left path, feeling that it would help get them closer to where the others were. Aravae kept breathing deeply, trying to will away the tremble in her hands. Why had she been so afraid? She had faced them down before. Maybe it was because Solas wasn’t there with her to help give her confidence. When she laid eyes on Falon’din, she didn’t see the kind man he had once been. She saw him when he became twisted and angry, backhanding her on more than one occasion. She saw him as the man he’d become when he started treating his loyal subjects like dogs. That had frightened her.

 

Her present company wasn’t helping much with her nerves, either. She knew the Fear Demon had likely honed in on her animosity towards Bull and separated them to try and rile them up, possibly even put them at each other’s throats. The last person she wanted to be alone with was the man she’d been thoroughly avoiding for a couple of weeks. The man who had sold her out and caused her to be tortured. However, since she’d screamed at him and struck him not all that long ago, she felt better about the venomous feelings that were eating her up inside. There was no way she could easily forgive him or forget about what he had done, but she felt...less vicious about it. Their current situation helped to put things into perspective, as well. 

 

When they came to a dead end, Bull looked closely at the wall of rock before them. He pointed out that it had decent handholds that they could use to climb over, perhaps get a better look at things. Aravae agreed and with Bull’s gesture, she climbed up first after securing her staff to her back. Once she scaled her way to the top, she took a moment to catch her breath and look around. She momentarily didn’t see the others, but she could see the green flickering light of a Fade rift not too far away. Directly below her was a large, open area that almost looked like a bog. When she heard Bull getting close to her, she quickly scanned for a way down and proceeded to climb down.

 

When they both were standing on more horizontal ground again, they glanced around, unsure of where to go for a way out. Aravae had been unable to spot another path, thanks to some strange, low fog in the area. Picking a direction, they started off.

 

She couldn’t shake the eerie feeling she had that was crawling up her spine, like tiny spiders. The hairs on the back of her neck were raised and she couldn’t stop checking their surroundings. Bull never spoke up or questioned her, but Aravae could tell that he was as tense as she was. Somewhere nearby, a crow cawed incessantly. That caught her attention. A crow? In the Fade?

 

She found herself following after the sound. When she saw something resembling a graveyard, she immediately had a bad feeling. Even Bull made an unsure grumble in the back of his throat. Still, she walked closer to look at them. She saw the crow, sitting atop one of the tombstones. There was carving on it.

 

_ Ena’fen: Failure _

 

Aravae frowned deeply. What was this? As she looked around at the others, she saw that each one belonged to a member of the inner circle.

 

_ Cole: Despair _

 

_ Cassandra: Helplessness _

 

_ Solas: Dying alone _

 

_ Aravae: Loss of purpose _

 

It felt as though someone had set their fingers around her throat and were slowly squeezing. She hadn’t understood, but now she did. It was a graveyard with a plot for everyone and on their tombstones was their greatest fear. Aravae knew that if she no longer had a purpose to keep her going in life...she would likely end her own. For good this time. Solas was most afraid of dying alone? The phantom fingers squeezed tighter around her throat. She didn’t even want to imagine Solas, lying somewhere, his blood oozing out onto the ground and no one around him.

 

She tore her eyes away and saw Bull standing before a tombstone - his own.

 

_ Iron Bull: Madness _

 

It made sense to her. He had always had a strong distaste for demons and a vocal opinion on possession. He was always worried that a demon would somehow slip into his mind and he would lose all control of himself. She had to admit that she felt a sort of awe at how Bull wore his greatest fear on his sleeve for those around him to know about it. He didn’t keep it tucked away like most of the others. 

 

It also explained why his grip on his axe hadn’t eased one bit since they entered the Fade.

 

“...Let’s go, Bull,” she murmured, turning her back to the graveyard.

 

“A moment, if you would.”

 

She spun back around in an instant. That voice hadn’t belonged to Bull. Sitting now where the crow had been, atop Ena’s tombstone, was none other than Imshael. Aravae reached for her staff and Bull crouched, ready to go, but Imshael waved his hands back and forth. “Ah, ah, ah! Bloodthirsty fools, just  _ wait _ a moment, would you? I am not here to fight.”

 

“Not likely,” Aravae hissed. “What are you even doing here? Why aren’t you out in the physical world?”

 

“Well, my fierce elvhen mage, since I am one of the most powerful demons there is - though I prefer  _ choice spirit -  _ all of these rifts are like doorways to be. I can come and go as I please, so long as there is an open doorway for me to pass through.” He crossed his legs and propped his hands on the stone to balance himself. “But enough about that. Why I am here. I want you and Fen’harel to leave me be. I am causing no harm to others.”

 

“Why should I even think about believing that?”

 

“I offer people a choice! I give it to them! What’s not to believe?”

 

“Considering you’re a  _ demon _ ?”

 

Imshael grunted and tilted his head back. “One of these days, you’ll get it right. Look. I’ll make you a deal.” He brought his head back down with a sneer. “I’ll tell you where to find the real monster. The Formless One. The others are dead. In exchange, just leave me be.”

 

“...Why should I believe you?”

 

He exhaled sharply. “He isn’t going anywhere, I can assure you of that. Come now, this is what I do: I offer choices and make deals. I will tell you where to find him if you don’t pursue me.”

 

Aravae wrestled with herself in her mind. Imshael could be a threat, but he was mostly just a weasel. The Formless One, on the other hand, she remembered, could cause catastrophic devastation. In comparing the two, The Formless One was more of an immediate danger. He wasn’t going anywhere? What did Imshael even mean about that? Bull glanced back towards her, waiting to see what she would do.

 

“...Very well. Tell me,” she said at last.

 

“Excellent,” he purred. “He is in the Frostback Basin, trapped within a cave and a powerful spell. Good luck.” Without giving Aravae a chance to change her mind, he shifted back into a crow and took off quickly, leaving a feather behind.

 

“...What was that?” Bull muttered. “He’s a demon, isn’t he? We can’t just leave him to do what he wants.”

 

“I never said I wouldn’t keep tabs on him,” she pointed out. “Besides, finding out where-”

 

A deep, booming laugh echoed in the air around them, cutting Aravae off short. Following the laugh as it faded was the sounds of combat. The elvhen and vashoth exchanged a quick glance, then took off, rushing to make it to the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, everyone! I am so sorry that this chapter took me so long to get out! I promise I haven't gotten distracted with my other projects. This chapter just fought me tooth and nail. However, I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out and I hope you enjoyed it too! Imshael has made another appearance and is selling out his brethren. Oh boyyy.
> 
> You guys are the best. This story has gone above and beyond what I ever expected and it is all thanks to you and your support! I must say that I am starting to work on outlining the rest of the story...the end is in sight. It won't come too fast, but it is coming. I hope you are all prepared...because I am NOT.
> 
> Thank you for everything, lovely readers! Hopefully the next chapter will come out much sooner, though the holiday time slows me down a bit. So much to do, so little time. Don't forget to pop by and say hi, let me know how you liked the chapter, or swing by my Tumblr to check out other drabbles and bits of writing I've done! See you all soon!


	36. Chapter 36

When Aravae laid eyes on the Fear Demon, she felt a terrible shiver crawl up her spine and send chills down her arms. Already, Ena and the others were engaging it and its minions, which skittered around the battlefield as spiders. Aravae and Bull readied themselves, then ran into the fray, looking for where they were needed most. Bull charged in with a bellow, a few of the others jumping, not having expected him so suddenly. Aravae set barriers overtop of the weakening ones that Solas and Hawke must have cast some time ago. They were so busy casting other spells to help keep the spiders at bay that they had gotten distracted from watching everyone else’s defenses. Solas spun around and locked eyes with Aravae for just a moment and she could see the relief in his gaze before he turned back to the fight. 

 

“Ah, and we are joined now by the rest of the formidable Inquisition,” the demon purred with a deep laugh. “The Qunari will make a lovely host for one of my minions. Or maybe I will ride his body myself.”

 

Bull jumped at it, swinging his axe, but hit nothing but thin air as it vanished. “I’d like to see you try,” he growled through his clenched teeth.

 

“Aravae, Aravae, Aravae…”

 

Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes darted around, looking for where Fear had gone. It appeared nearly just behind her and she cried out as she swung her staff at it. The way it said her name made her feel sick.

 

“You’re surrounded by nearly nothing but dead friends. Shall I continue on with that?” Fear sneered, flashing its sharp teeth. “I’ll kill every last person you love and you shall be left alone. When your mind breaks, I can take your body for myself.”

 

She grunted with effort and allowed her magic to wash over her body, her lightning bolts sparking along her skin and traveling along her staff. Before it could strike the demon, he broke away with a laugh. “I’ll die before I let you touch them,” she hissed venomously. 

 

“That is a wish I can grant.”

 

“Not likely!” Solas shouted, casting a spell to fire ice shards at Fear. It grunted and snarled as several of them met their mark.

 

“ _ You _ can be first,  _ Fen’harel. _ ” Fear raised it’s tentacle-like appendages and struck towards Solas, who rolled out of the way. “Or shall I just let your former companions have the honor? I’m sure that the Evanuris would  _ love _ to be out of their prison…”

 

Solas’s eyes widened with a hint of fear. Though the thought formed a pit in Aravae’s stomach, she attempted to ignore it and continue on fighting. She charged towards Fear, raising her staff blade in an attempt to stab him, but she wasn’t able to make contact before he vanished into thin air once more. She kept her eyes peeled as she backed up to stand by Solas, who had recovered and was now setting glyphs for the spiders to set off. 

 

_ He won’t touch him. He won’t touch any of them _ , Aravae swore. She would do anything to prevent that. When she heard a roar of pain, she shifted quickly and saw that Sera had managed to lodge an arrow into Fear’s torso. As the demon zeroed in on the blonde girl, Aravae saw her flinch and freeze with terror. At the same time Aravae swathed Sera in a barrier, Ena lunged at Fear, spinning around lightly on her feet and dragging her blades across its back. It pitched forward, then gave off an ear-piercing shriek as Varric fired a bolt from Bianca into one of it’s tentacles, near its head.

 

Cole and Stroud finished off the last of the spiders while everyone else zeroed in on Fear, who was growling and struggling to stand. It lashed out with weak attacks that were easily blocked. It made a last attempt to aim everything at Ena, who was ready to defend herself, but Bull stepped in and brought his axe down, severing the appendages from Fear’s body. Its scream stopped short as Cole appeared out of nowhere and shoved his dagger down into Fear’s head. Within moments, it faded, as though it had never been there.

 

“No time to rest,” Hawke panted. “Get to the rift! Move!”

 

Aravae turned her attention to where everyone else was starting to hurry off to. She saw the rift, just on top of a small hill, but not far away from it, something was stirring and rising. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to hurry after the others. It was yet another spider, one of massive size, but judging by its aura, it was no regular spider. It was another demon, even more powerful than Fear. It could only be Nightmare. 

 

Those who were near the front of the group jumped through the rift - Cole, Sera, and Varric. Just as Ena and Bull were close to going through, one of Nightmare’s giant, hairy legs crashed onto the ground between them and the rift. Bull grabbed Ena and pulled her back. Aravae, Solas, Hawke, and Stroud jumped back, moving out of immediate striking distance. While Bull and Ena joined them, both breathless, Aravae eyed the demonic creature and looked towards Solas. “Do you think we can distract it long enough to let the others through?”

 

He wiped sweat from his brow and inhaled sharply. “I’m not sure. I am personally running low on energy. We fought through many other foes to get here. I only had a little bit of one lyrium potion left.”

 

“I have some energy left, but...I don’t think I can take it on alone.” She glanced towards Hawke. Having a mage being able to strike the demon from a distance was much safer than sending a melee fighter to charge and dodge all the legs and pinchers.

 

Unfortunately, Hawke looked pale and weary. She was still struggling to catch her breath. “I’m sorry, I think I’m all out.”

 

“Allow me to help distract it,” Stroud said confidently, stepping forward as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. 

 

“But-”

 

Stroud interrupted Ena. “The Grey Wardens started this. Allow me to try and help make amends for it.”

 

Ena hesitated, looking like she wanted to say something else, but Nightmare was beginning to make its way towards them. Time was up. She nodded, her brows furrowed. “Be careful, you two.”

 

“I have enough left to keep a barrier on you for a few minutes,” Solas told Aravae quickly, going ahead and wrapping his aura tightly around her. It helped to calm her mind and comfort her. She would be okay.

 

She took a deep breath and built up her magic while Stroud charged off to the side, raising his sword. “For the Wardens!!”

 

He ducked and weaved between Nightmare’s legs, slicing at anything he could reach. Even when his blade made contact with flesh, it looked like it only irritated Nightmare, rather than causing it pain. Aravae sidestepped the same direction Stroud had gone, her lightning crackling around her. “Move once you see an opening,” she called back to the others. She then muttered under her breath, “Here we go.”

 

She focused her magic into her staff and aimed it towards the massive spider-like demon. She concentrated, letting the spell charge up and aim good and high, so that she wouldn’t accidentally hit Stroud. Still, just before she let it loose, she shouted, “Duck!”

 

Thankfully, Stroud heard her and hit the dirt just as Aravae released possibly the largest lightning bolt she had ever conjured. It made her hair rise and frizz from the amount of static it released into the air. It struck Nightmare, causing it to screech in pain and knock it off balance. Before she even had to say anything, the others broke out into a made sprint for the rift. Stroud jumped to his feet and followed after them. Aravae waited to make sure that Nightmare wasn’t about to spring back up right away and go after Stroud while he ran. It made all sorts of strange squealing noises as it winced, trying to regain its balance. Surely it was pissed now. They didn’t have a moment to lose.

 

Hawke jumped through the rift. After a shove from Bull, Ena went through it. Both Solas and Bull halted just at the entrance to the rift, making sure that the others were coming. Aravae could see Nightmare was almost able to move again. She focused on running, but a thought in the back of her mind told her that she and Stroud may not make it. They still had a good distance to cover in a short amount of time.

 

She knew it when she saw both Bull and Solas’s eyes bulge, their mouths starting to open in warning. She glanced to her left and started to shout at Stroud, who was several feet in front of her. Just as he’d started to turn his head, one of Nightmare’s legs smacked into him with a sickening  _ thwack,  _ sending his body flying. Before he’d even crashed into a boulder, Aravae knew immediately that he hadn’t survived that. Her eyes didn’t linger on his body as it crumpled down to the ground. She stood and faced Nightmare, trying to get a read on where it was going to strike from. She had drained herself quite a bit with that last spell, but she still had just a little bit left in her. She readied herself for another strike. As Nightmare shifted, she dropped to the ground to dodge another one of its legs. She quickly pushed herself back up, her heart racing at a painful tempo. She could hear Bull and Solas shouting at her, but she couldn’t make out the words. She was too focused on what was right in front of her. She slowly kept creeping towards her right, towards the rift. If she could have just one more moment like she’d gotten a minute ago, she could make it.

 

When she had called her energy forward, she fired another spell at the same time as Nightmare raised a leg and aimed it at her. As she saw the demon’s leg getting closer, she felt as though time stopped around her. She could see it approaching ever so slowly, yet she knew that even if she moved now, she wouldn’t entirely dodge it. Her spell would likely hit it just after it hit her first. In that moment, her mind went blank. Entirely blank.

 

The next instant, she was falling sideways, having been pushed down. A shout of pain reached her ears and time returned to normal. She heard Nightmare screech again as her spell knocked it back for a moment. She grunted as she slammed into the ground, but lifted her head to look at who had stepped in. 

 

Bull. He was laying on his side, several feet back, bleeding profusely from his side. Before she could even finish processing what had just happened, Solas was at Bull’s side, grabbing an arm to try and lift the large man to his feet. Solas shouted something at Aravae, but she still couldn’t make out what it was. Judging by his expression, she didn’t need words. She needed to get up. She needed to help.

 

She scrambled to her feet and went to Bull’s other side, helping Solas heave the vashoth up. Without needing communication, Aravae and Solas simultaneously fade-stepped, halfway dragging Bull as they fell through the rift. “Close it!” Solas snapped.

 

Ena raised her hand with no hesitation, the Fade rift crackling and sealing shut. A heavy silence fell in the courtyard of Adamant, save for Bull’s groaning as he pressed a hand to his side, but the blood was flowing freely. Aravae’s knees were beginning to buckle under his weight. Ironically, it was his weight that caused the realization of what was happening to bring her back into the present. She looked around, the courtyard full of astonished Grey Wardens. “Don’t just stand there! Someone come help bring him somewhere where we can lay him down!” A few Wardens sprang into action, taking Bull from the two mages. “Dorian and Vivienne. Where are-?”

 

“We’re right here,” Vivienne interjected. “Come. Let’s bring him this way. We’ll tend to him.”

 

The Wardens followed after Dorian and Vivienne as they walked out of the courtyard. Solas went after them. Aravae was about to as well, but Ena’s hand reached out and barely snagged a piece of fabric hanging out from her armor. She halted and looked back at the redhead. The woman’s bright golden eyes were swimming with emotion, but she was managing to contain herself. Only barely. She needed support. Aravae nodded and remained where she was.

 

Most of the talking, Aravae didn’t really pay attention to. Her vision was swimming slightly and she needed to focus in order to remain steady on her feet. It sounded like Ena was handling things well enough. Her voice had wobbled slightly in the beginning, but she regained control. Aravae suddenly felt someone touching the middle of her back, rubbing small circles on it. With a glance, she saw that it was Cole. His presence relaxed her a little, though she found herself questioning if Bull was okay.

 

“He will be fine,” Cole whispered, surprisingly short about it.

 

_ Thank you, _ she said silently in her mind, knowing he would hear it.

 

When all was said and done, Ena turned to Aravae, still keeping her composure, but she was clearly ready to be away from prying eyes, as soon as possible. Aravae reached out and took her hand that beared the Anchor, squeezed it, and then started walking off towards the direction Bull had been taken. Cole took the lead, weaving between the people that seemed to not see him.

 

Soon enough, they came to a corner that had a tent thrown up and from inside, they could hear multiple voices talking and pained grunts coming from Bull. Aravae lifted the tent flap and peered inside. Dorian and Vivienne were standing on one side of Bull while Solas and another healer were on the other. Vivienne was leaned in close, examining the wound. Solas held a torch, since he was unable to even conjure a flame at the moment, so that she could see better. Dorian and the healer were keeping sturdy hands on his shoulders, keeping him pinned down. Heads barely turned towards them when the flap of the tent moved. Aravae hovered, not wanting to get in their way since she knew she was currently of no help to anyone. Ena cleared her throat and stepped inside. “What can I do?”

 

“Come and help hold him,” Dorian replied without hesitation. 

 

Aravae stood and watched, just on the edge of the tent. She glanced around, noticing that Cole had vanished yet again. Likely he was off helping someone else. She watched as Vivienne and Dorian exchanged vials of lyrium and the healer produced a potion or two. Bull strained to try and remain still for them. Ena shushed him and spoke low and soothingly, trying to comfort him and distract him. Solas kept the torch where it would provide the most light, very rarely speaking.

 

A growling yowl reached her ears and she turned her head just in time to see Banal’ras run up towards her. She stepped away from the tent, letting the flap close. The panther did not jump on her, but he didn’t completely stop before his body leaned heavily against hers, knocking her off balance. She felt her lips turn up into a weak smile, though her heart was not entirely in it. She was happy to see him and pleased to see he did not look injured, though she noted he had dried blood on his coat, but her emotions were completely drained.

 

The sound of clinking armor approaching caught her attention next. Cullen had not been far behind Banal’ras. He had his lion helmet tucked under his arm, his hair curling from sweat. He looked weary, but relieved. “At last, someone. Thank the Maker. I figured I would find at least you if I followed him.” He gestured to the panther. “Where is everyone else? The Inquisitor?”

 

Aravae gave a small wave towards the tent. “In there. But Bull is injured. Ena’s helping them treat him.”

 

“Injured? How badly?”

 

“He… He has a very large gash in his side. He’s losing a lot of blood.”

 

“Then all that blood is his? You are not injured?”

 

She shifted her gaze down to her side, where she’d helped carry Bull. “...Yes. It’s his.”

 

Cullen slowly frowned and took a step closer. “Aravae? Are you okay? What happened?”

 

She swallowed thickly and shook her head. “I’m sorry. Not yet. We’ll...talk with you shortly. The others should be back towards the courtyard.”

 

His concern did not fade, but he gave a curt nod, accepting her words for now. He walked towards her, gave her shoulder a squeeze, then set off to find the remaining inner circle. Perhaps one of them could tell Cullen what had happened. For the moment, all Aravae could see in front of her was Falon’din’s shadow.

 

She sat down and waited outside the tent, absentmindedly running her hand along the top of Banal’ras’s head and down his neck to just between his shoulders, then started over again. She thought that perhaps she had seen one or two of the others come by, but she couldn’t remember their conversations. Her mind was too busy trying to accept that those she had seen in the Fade had been only an illusion spun by the Nightmare. It couldn’t have been them, not truly. If they were truly free, they could use their power to simply punch a hole in the Veil and come through to Thedas. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that if she were to turn around, Falon’din would be lurking just behind her. Or June would be lunging towards her, his blade ready to pierce her armor.

 

_ They weren’t real. They were just illusions. It was not them. _

 

Some time later, the tent flap finally opened. The exhausted mages stumbled out and Solas immediately went to her. “He will be fine after some rest. Ena will stay with him.”

 

Aravae nodded slowly, not sure of what to say. She did not wish to see Bull dead. He had protected her. He was still a member of the inner circle and the man Ena loved. For now, words seemed to have fled her. 

 

Solas offered a hand to her and helped her to stand. He murmured to her that they should find a tent of their own and go to sleep for the night. What remained of the night, anyways. Aravae mumbled something that concurred with him. Banal’ras walked closely at her free side.

 

Things had been moving around quickly in Adamant. Fires were put out, bodies were being piled and burned, prayers to the Maker reaching their ears as the elvhen moved slowly. Just within the walls, multiple tents were set up, the area lit with a small fire, a pot of food being stirred over it. Solas spoke to one of the soldiers and then led Aravae into one of the tents. Once the flap closed behind them, Solas turned on his heel to look at her, his eyes containing many emotions, all seeming to be rushing through him in an instant. He was concerned, he was relieved, he was angry, he was exhausted. His hands took her cheeks and he held her face delicately, as though she was made of glass. “Are you alright, ma vhenan?”

 

“I am...tired.” She could not bring herself to say that she was okay. It was too recent. Too much had happened. Her mind was not yet finished comprehending everything. She allowed her eyes to close and lean her head into his hands. “Just tired.”

 

He hummed in agreement, giving her a soft kiss on her lips. He then slowly began unbuckling her bloodstained armor, letting it fall to a heap on the sandy ground. She did not protest. She merely shifted and lifted her limbs when needed. His hands roamed, checking her for injuries. Once he was satisfied that she was relatively unharmed - there were only bruises and scrapes - then she forced her hands to start doing the same to him. She worked him out of his armor, though he was a little more helpful than she had been. She pulled his shirt off over his head, frowning at the colorful bruises that littered his torso and arms. He took her hands in his after she began trying to summon the strength to coat them in healing magic. “I am fine. They are not serious,” he whispered.

 

She gazed into his eyes before nodding, accepting his assurance. She then looked at the two cots that were set up within the tent, a short distance apart. Without a word, Solas went and moved them closer together. He took her hand and pulled her close, lifting her own shirt off of her body, leaving her upper half in only her breast band and the wolf jaw amulet. “Let us sleep, Aravae.”

 

Sleep sounded like the best thing to her. She laid down in the cot just beside of his, able to feel his warmth. He draped an arm over her as they rested on their sides, gazing at each other wordlessly, lovingly, wearily, until the blanket of sleep fell over them.

 

* * *

 

She did not sleep well. Aravae had been so exhausted that she did not willingly go into the Fade that night. She merely fell into a fit of dreams with the Evanuris hovering over her, beating her, tormenting her, chasing her, and she jerked awake when it had shifted to where they were killing everyone around her. Her sudden movement was enough to rouse Solas, who opened his eyes quickly. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m sorry,” she choked. “It was a dream.”

 

His hand went up and brushed the hair from her face. “What of?” he asked softly.

 

“The Evanuris,” she answered after a few breaths. “I saw Falon’din and June in the Fade yesterday. Or, at least, the illusions of them. I just can’t be rid of the feeling that it was really them.”

 

“It couldn’t have been,” he insisted. “It was the Nightmare’s doing.”

 

She touched his hand that was playing with her hair. She laced her fingers with his and brought his hand down to place a kiss to the back of it. She held it tight, anchoring herself to the moment. Her gaze was focused on his hand, not up at his eyes. “May I ask what you saw?”

 

She felt him tense and saw the way his jaw clenched. Immediately, she felt a pang of guilt for asking. Just as she was about to tell him to forget about it, he murmured, “It was...not pleasant. The...enemies I was supposedly cutting down were…” He trailed off, swallowing. When she raised her eyes at last to look at him, he was not looking at her. “It was you. You were...with child.”

 

It took several long moments for Aravae to fully understand his words. Her...with child. In his own nightmare, he was killing her while she was pregnant. In nearly the same instant, a chill went down her spine and a warmth went to her cheeks. If he had seen her as pregnant, there was only one man who could be the father: Solas.

 

It was not something she had thought much of. Besides, they had only agreed to be together for a couple of months now. Even thinking of bearing children again had not crossed her mind. She had the feeling that since it was what Solas had seen, it had been something he had been thinking of. She appreciated that he hadn’t brought that up to her, because she knew that she wasn’t ready for something like that again. However, it also made her stomach flutter with happiness.

 

“Ir abelas. I should not have-”

 

“No, you don’t have to apologize.”

 

His eyes shifted up and met hers. They remained there for a long moment, gazing into each other’s faces. However, Aravae began to grow awkward and she glanced away, looking towards the tent flap. It was bright outside. “What time is it?”

 

It took a moment for Solas to look away from her and sit up. “It may be afternoon. We should probably get up and see if we’re needed. How are you feeling?”

 

She gave a light shrug. “I can use my magic. I rested enough for that, at least.”

 

He looked at her as she sat up and stretched slowly, his mouth twisting. “We should try and find you some water to rinse with.”

 

She raised her arm and looked at the remnants of her messy braid, which were both caked with blood. Bull’s blood. She felt a little queasy when she looked at it, but she averted her gaze quickly. “I’ll be okay. Others need more attention than me cleaning up.”

 

The two rose and threw on their shirts that they typically wore under their armor. After debating for a few moments, they left their armor where it was. They took their staves and, with Banal’ras stretching and following after them, they exited the tent, squinting their eyes against the bright light. Luckily, nearby, towards the center of the ring of tents, was Varric, speaking to a few of the soldiers. When he glimpsed at the elvhen, he excused himself and made his way towards them. “Well, well, rise and shine, sleepyheads. It’s well past noon.”

 

“Why didn’t anyone wake us?” Aravae inquired.

 

“Ah, well… No one really wanted to bother us after...yesterday.” He crossed his arms and rocked back and forth on his feet. “There’s been plenty going on all night. Cleaning up after the battle, treatment and whatnot.”

 

Solas spoke up. “What of Iron Bull?”

 

“He’s up and about already, though Zinnia looked about ready to kill him herself if it would get him to stay still. They’re around somewhere. I don’t think she slept last night.” He scrunched his nose. “She’s been helping everywhere, it seems.”

 

Aravae exchanged a worried glance with Solas. “We’ll go find her.”

 

“Yeah, I kind of figure she might only listen to you. I know some of the others - myself included - have tried to talk reason into her, but she just won’t  _ stop _ .”

 

“That sounds like her. Thanks, Varric.”

 

“Go get her to get some  _ rest _ .”

 

Aravae and Solas set off, eyes scanning the battlements and groups of the wounded. Aravae figured if she could spot Bull, since he was taller than all the men around, Ena would be right there with him. They passed by a few others of the inner circle, as well as Cullen, who cast a quick, concerned expression towards Aravae, but they pointed them in the direction they last saw Ena in. At last, out near the bridge where they had fallen into the Fade, they spotted the redhead and the vashoth standing close together. Bull had a series of large bandages wrapped tightly around his side, which were tinted red from his blood. Ena was still in her armor, dirtied and bloodied, looking out towards the distance. 

 

Aravae and Solas came up to their side. Aravae took a small breath, then inquired, “How are you, Bull?”

 

“I’ve had worse,” he replied without hesitation, waggling his hand that was missing his two fingers. “How about you?” He tilted his head towards them, shifting enough so that his eye could look at them properly.

 

Solas nodded silently. Aravae met Bull’s gaze tensely. “Thank you, Bull. You did not have to do that.”

 

“Sure I did. You’re more valuable here than I am. It’s just common sense.”

 

Ena jerked and looked up at him, ready to speak and protest, but Aravae beat her to it. “Bull. You don’t need to say anything like that. I am no more valuable than you are. No one here can be replaced.”

 

“She’s right!” Ena insisted, her brows furrowed. “How could you say that? You make it sound like your life is worthless.”

 

“And you,” Aravae interjected, raising an eyebrow and locking eyes with Ena. “What’s this I hear about you not having slept?”

 

Bull held out a hand. “ _ Thank  _ you. I’ve been telling her since I got up that she needed to get some shuteye, but she just won’t budge.”

 

“ _ You _ shouldn’t be up yet.”

 

“Ah… Uhh… Well-”

 

Aravae pointed from one to the other. “Sleep. Go lay down.”

 

Ena and Bull look at each other with slightly worried looks. Ena shifted anxiously. “Will you be able to-?”

 

“It’s done. Go. Now.”

 

Clearly seeing that they wouldn’t have any further room for argument, the couple walked off, heading for a tent to crash in. Ena nearly looked asleep on her feet as it was. Once they were gone, Aravae sagged her shoulders and sighed heavily. Solas reached a hand up and squeezed her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

 

“I will be. For now, let’s see what we need to take charge of around here. I guess let’s head back to find Cullen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and Happy Holidays, everyone! I am so, so sorry that it took nearly a month to get this chapter out. I did not forget about it - it just got so hectic and it refused to get written and *frustrated noises*. I really, really hope that I can get the next chapter done much sooner. Thank you to everyone who continues to support this story and read it! You know where to find me if you want to chat. Let me know how you liked this chapter and I'll get to work on the next one!


	37. Chapter 37

It took quite some time to move everyone from Adamant back to Skyhold. There were many injured and numerous dead to have to be tended to. Those who had gone into the Fade did not find much sleep and what little they did, it was far from restful. When Ena was drooping from lack of sleep, Cullen made sure to take charge in her place and move the soldiers where they needed to be. When the eyes were on her, she fought through her weariness and held her head up high, trying to maintain her strong role. After the long, long march back to Skyhold, there was hardly even any time to rest then. Morrigan from the Winter Palace was there and waiting for them.

 

Everyone went and gave briefings to Leliana and Josephine and also recounted what had happened in the Fade. Everyone then agreed to at least give Ena and the rest of the inner circle a day to recover before diving into more business. After all, they had been away from Skyhold for some time. Aravae was quick to take a long, drawn out bath to clean up and help soothe aching muscles. When she’d finished, she curled up in her bed and sighed heavily, happy to be atop a comfortable surface again. Solas joined her not long after and he held her, stroking her damp hair while she grazed her fingers along his back, the two trying to lull each other to sleep.

 

Not only was Aravae still disturbed by what she’d seen in the Fade, but she was also having trouble deciding how to bring back up Solas’s illusions. He had not mentioned it again and was clearly not pressuring her, but she couldn’t shake it from her mind. Was she ready to even consider having children again? She could still remember the warmth in her arms from holding Estelar, the weight as she grew heavier… She knew that there was no way that she would be doing something like replacing her, but…

 

Something held her back and something sparked joy. It was a complex mix of emotions.

 

The following day had been spent nearly entirely in bed. Both of them had books they wanted to read, so they lounged around and went through them. The only time they really moved was to either relieve themselves or for Aravae to let Banal’ras in or out of the tower. The panther spent most of his time outdoors that day. Barely even a word had been spoken between the two by nightfall when it was time to eat, but it was not uncomfortable in the slightest.

 

The next morning had come all too quickly. Ena requested Aravae to join her when meeting with the advisors to start talking about planning their next move. She agreed, of course, but it was a struggle to pull herself away from Solas’s warmth and dress. She gave him a kiss as he bid her a momentary farewell. Banal’ras accompanied Aravae to the war room.

 

They all agreed that they were dealing significant blows to Corypheus and his followers, especially after Adamant. They’d prevented the two major things Ena had seen in that horrible future in Redcliffe - the assassination of the Empress of Orlais and a demon army. Now, the wannabe god was moving south to what they called the Arbor Wilds. However, there was a piece of information that snapped Aravae to full attention: Corypheus was ransacking elvhen ruins.

 

Leliana turned her gaze to Aravae. “Do you have any ideas as to what he could be searching for? I’ve had my people try to find out, but the answer continues to elude us.”

 

Aravae frowned deeply, trying to think. It was then that the door to the room opened and closed, the sound echoing around them. “Which should surprise no one.” Heads turned and saw that Morrigan was walking up to the table, her stride nothing short of self-confidence. “Fortunately, I can assist.”

 

Aravae raised an irked eyebrow as Banal’ras let loose a low rumble. Morrigan was only looking to Ena, like none of the others in the room mattered. Ena glanced at Aravae for a moment. The two had decided to not share Aravae and Solas’s identity with Morrigan unless it became absolutely necessary. They were unsure on whether or not they could trust her. Including that Leliana knew her personally and gave an unsure answer was enough to make them lean towards not trusting her. Ena spoke through slightly gritted teeth. “Please. Continue.”

 

“What Corypheus seeks in those forgotten woods is as ancient as it is dangerous.”

 

When a long pause dragged on, Ena leaned forward slightly. “...Which is?”

 

“‘Tis best...if I show you.”

 

She began heading for the exit as quickly as she’d arrived. Ena looked towards the annoyed but intrigued Aravae, then said, “I would like Aravae to join us.”

 

This halted Morrigan in her tracks. With a glance over her shoulder, she replied, “I would prefer it just be us, Inquisitor.”

 

“I’m afraid I must insist.”

 

At long last, Morrigan shifted her golden eyes - not unlike Ena’s, really - to gaze upon Aravae, who all but glared in return. With a hint of a sigh, Morrigan concurred, “Very well.”

 

A spark or two crawled along Aravae’s skin, but she followed after Ena. Morrigan led them out of the war room, through the great hall, and out towards the gardens. She then stopped them before a door that Aravae had recalled being a rather large storage room, but it was guarded with a ward. Morrigan deactivated it and open it with a slight shove.

 

Upon entering the room, Aravae had to bite her bottom lip to keep from gasping aloud, though she could not help the fact that she froze in her tracks. Since Morrigan was ahead of them, continuing to walk, she did not notice, but Ena did. She gave Aravae a concerned expression, not wanting to say anything verbally.

 

“This...is an eluvian,” Morrigan stated. “An elvhen artifact, from a time long before their empire was lost to human greed.”

 

Aravae found the strength to move her feet towards it, her eyes fixed upon the eluvian’s swirling reflection. Ena cleared her throat softly and looked back to Morrigan as she came to a halt before it, shifting to face the two of them.

 

“I restored this one at great cost, but another lies within the Arbor Wilds. _That_ is what Corypheus seeks.”

 

Ena asked a couple of questions, but Aravae did not listen fully to Morrigan’s responses. Likely, it would have just grated her nerves even more. She was more so focused on just gazing at the eluvian - a relic of a time that she longed for. In her travels and going to the ruins, she’d found other eluvians, but they’d been destroyed beyond repair. She never thought she would see a functioning one ever again. Yet here one was, just begging to be unlocked to take her to the in-between spaces. How she so desperately wanted to run and bring Solas to look at it. How she wanted to lift her hands and utter the phrase or provide it the spell it needed to open its path.

 

She heard the raven-haired woman say something of an untouched elvhen temple in the wilds. Immediately, her mind began recalling what temples would be so far south. Many evanuris had temples set everywhere, but what could potentially be one that had yet to be disturbed in these thousands of years?

 

No. She knew. Mythal’s best warriors, guarding the Vir’abelasan. One of Mythal’s most treasured things.

 

With her mind so drowned in thoughts, she blinked rapidly when Morrigan activated the eluvian, causing it to illuminate with a flash of light. Without waiting, the witch of the wilds stepped through it. In a rush, Ena demanded, “Do you know what these are? Are they dangerous?”

 

“I do.” Aravae sounded breathless. “They are not dangerous to us...but I can suspect why Morrigan believes Corypheus may want one. We’ll talk later.”

 

With a decisive nod, Ena went through the eluvian after Morrigan. Taking a moment to take a deep breath and calm her rattled nerves, Aravae then walked through it after requesting that Banal’ras stay where he was. The sensation of going through one always left a light tingling on her skin. When she came out the other side, sorrow tore at her heart. What had once been bright and gleaming was dull, dark, and grey. A fog seemed to have settled in. It had always been slightly present, but only in the distance around the eluvians. Not thick and hovering like it was now.

 

“If this place once had a name, it has long been lost.” Morrigan took slow steps forward, Ena walking alongside her, looking around with awe. Aravae remained stuck to her spot, though her eyes slowly glanced around, recalling that which was familiar. “I call it the Crossroads, a place where all eluvians join...wherever they might be.”

 

“These are...incredible,” Ena breathed. “And quite useful.”

 

“For one who knows the way, certainly.” Morrigan took a few steps further and turned in a slow circle, emphasizing her dialogue with her hands. “The ancient elves left no roads, only ruins hidden in far-flung corners. This is how they traveled between them. As you can see, most of the mirrors are dark. They are broken, corrupted, or unusable. As for the rest...a few can be opened from this side. But only a few.”

 

Aravae at last took a few steps, carefully analyzing each eluvian. As Morrigan had said, most were dark. A few still gleamed softly, awaiting to be unlocked and used for the first time in centuries. She walked agonizingly slow, calling on her memory to remember which eluvians led where. She pondered if any could be useful to her and Solas...if they could find a way to use the eluvian without Morrigan knowing about it. She only vaguely listened as Ena asked questions and Morrigan answered. Though something about the woman rubbed her the wrong way, Aravae had to admit that her knowledge on her people and their relics were surprisingly...not quite accurate, but they were close. Since being awake, she hadn’t come across anyone with such knowledge. There was one line that caught her attention, however. “This...is not the Fade, but it is very close. Someone with enough power could tear down the ancient barriers.”

 

_Well...it is true that this is probably the closest one can get to the Fade physically, since the eluvians have to be powered and connected with a great deal of magical energy. But...is it possible for Solas to perhaps find a way to begin lowering the Veil...here?_

 

As Aravae began to think more in depth about that possibility, the other two began walking towards the activated eluvian to head back. Morrigan called out, “And what do you think of all this, Era’tarasyl’nin?” The look on Aravae’s face must have said it all, because she quickly added, “The soldiers gossip indeed.”

 

“Hmm.” Aravae took long strides to join them. “This is...quite the discovery. Tell me, are there other areas that you are able to travel to?”

 

“Only two other ruins that I gather used to be temples.”

 

“No others?”

 

“Unfortunately, the key to them is unfamiliar to me,” Morrigan admitted.

 

Aravae nodded sagely. She had seen more than two eluvians lit up and knowing that Morrigan could only access...relatively useless ones was a comforting thought. Had there been anyone living in the temples, she would have likely said so. Though Morrigan gave Aravae a curious look, she said no more on the matter, instead turning on heel and going through the eluvian again. Aravae wasted no time in snapping her head towards Ena. “I need to come back here again, without her.”

 

“Can you access the others?”

 

“Even if they’ve been taken over and their…’keys’ changed, between myself or Solas, we can figure them out and take back control. Some of these may be useful to us. All of us.”

 

“I understand.” Ena gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll figure something out.”

 

“Ma serannas, lethallan,” Aravae all but whispered. She cast one more wistful look around the Crossroads - a rather appropriate title for them - and stepped through alongside Ena so that they were back in Skyhold again. Banal’ras hurried back to Aravae’s side, rubbing lightly against the backside of her legs and curling back around, his eyes fixed on Morrigan. She led the way for them to exit and she promptly closed and warded the door behind them, to which Aravae frowned with thought.

 

Ena remained to speak with Morrigan, but Aravae excused herself. She hurried and headed for her tower. Her face and stride must have conveyed her urgency, because she passed by Blackwall, who looked like he was about to speak with her, but he instead cleared his throat and cleared the way. The moment she threw open the door going through her tower and she saw it was empty, she cast a barrier around it - one to keep the sound contained. As the door shut, she called, “Solas!” as she went up the steps.

 

She didn’t hear anything. She hoped he hadn’t gone off to the rotunda yet. She threw open her bedroom door, Banal’ras running in ahead of her. His lethe form trotted to the steps leading up to the top of the tower and he vanished. Following him, Aravae breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Solas standing near the edge of the top of the tower, gazing out towards the snowy mountains. Banal’ras was sniffing him curiously. He shifted when he heard her approaching and gave her a smile. “Ah. I was not expecting you to be back so soon. How did the planning go?”

 

She shifted her barrier, wrapping it around just the two of them. Solas gave her a silent, puzzled expression. She shook her head and said, “I just discovered something rather important, Solas.” She paused. “Eluvians. There is one here. The human mage from Orlais brought it with  her. She knows how to use it.” Solas’s face shifted into something quite serious, but he said nothing yet. “She can open it and use it to get to the others, but she doesn’t know how to access many others. If we can figure out how to get past the wards on the door leading to it, we could use them.”

 

He took a slow, deep breath. “I see… How many would be usable? It has been a long time and most my agents have found have been corrupted. Some are working on restoring them, but it is no small task.”

 

“I saw some. We weren’t there long enough for me to recognize the paths. But...Solas, if we could use this…” She allowed a sliver of hope to creep into her voice. “We could go to the other temples so much quicker. We could find those that still reside in them, guarding them. Raynia is waiting for us to find others to follow before she’ll agree to help us. Not only that, but…” She wringed her fingers together, her mind racing a league a minute. “The Veil is so thin there, but it’s natural for it, to allow the eluvians to still function. Perhaps...after we researched, we could...possibly begin to dismantle the Veil from there, rather than here?”

 

Solas gave a slow nod, his eyes shifting elsewhere. She could tell he was thinking about it. “It is a strong possibility. However, there is much work to be done before then.”

 

“Clearly. But…”

 

His eyes turned back to her, locking onto her with a gentle gaze. “But you wish to visit temples now?”

 

She clicked her tongue and cast her gaze to the stone floor. “Ir abelas. I’m just being impatient with this new knowledge.”

 

He shook his head and closed the short distance between them, his fingers reaching up and grazing across her cheeks, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Do not apologize. It is...refreshing to see you hopeful and excited about this.”

 

Her cheeks warmed slightly. “If you say so.”

 

“I do.” He chuckled. “Now, where is the eluvian?”

 

* * *

 

“Morrigan.”

 

“Inquisitor. What can I do for you?”

 

Ena glanced around the gardens, making sure that no one was too close to be listening in. She leaned closer and inquired softly, “Can I ask you to take me to the Crossroads one more time?”

 

Morrigan’s eyebrows raised slightly. “I do not mind, but may I ask why?”

 

“It was just...so fascinating, honestly. To see artifacts like that of my people from long ago and to see them functioning as intended…” Ena smiled gently. “I would like to look at them a bit more closely.”

 

Morrigan was quiet, not saying anything for several long moments. “As you wish, Inquisitor. Are you ready now?”

 

“I am, yes. Thank you, Morrigan.”

 

She merely nodded in return and the two of them walked towards the large storage room. Morrigan pulled her wards down and they went inside, closing the door behind them. From their spot on the battlements, Aravae and Solas stood, having a conversation in elvhen while keeping a close eye on what had just transpired down below.

 

_“She did not reset her wards,”_ Solas observed.

 

_“Good. We just need to wait a few minutes before going. Ena promised to have Morrigan in position.”_

 

Solas hummed and they resumed talking. When they decided enough time had passed, without stopping their conversation, they began making their way down the stairs of the battlements and towards the gardens. They took slow strides, which they were used to...and it didn’t look suspicious. The others in the garden paid next to no attention to them. Most were Chantry sisters or garden workers, either too busy talking or performing their duties.

 

When they came to the door, Solas did a sweep with his magic. _“Let’s go,”_ he murmured under his breath.

 

They quickly entered the room, checking to see if anyone was watching. If they heard just a door opening and closing, they would likely assume it was another one and not a mere storage room. The room was momentarily empty, but the eluvian was shimmering and active. As they approached, Solas having the same, wistful look that Aravae had had a few days before, the two tucked their auras deep inside of them, trying to hide their obvious trace of magic. Morrigan was not quite on their level, but she was still a very powerful mage. They needed to be cautious, or else she would be able to sense them. They stopped just short of walking through the portal. Aravae took a breath and looked to him. “Ready?”

 

“Yes. Let’s.”

 

Both held their breath, as though that was something else Morrigan would be able to sense. They leaned forward, only peering their heads through. Across the dark and foggy Crossroads, Ena was asking Morrigan questions, her brows furrowed, listening intently. Morrigan’s back was to them and she was talking with a bit of enthusiasm, clearly interested in sharing her knowledge. Tiptoeing with their bare feet, Aravae and Solas stepped completely through the eluvian and went around to the backside of the mirror, where they couldn’t be spotted.

 

There, they waited.

 

Ena asked many questions and Morrigan answered all of them and then some. Aravae could feel her pulse thumping a little faster than normal. She hoped that they would wrap it up and leave soon, but Ena wanted to make sure her getting Morrigan to bring her back wasn’t suspicious at all. She was also just being antsy, wanting to go walk around the eluvians and see which ones they could activate, where they could go, who they may find…

 

Solas’s hand brushed against hers as it rested at her side. Without thinking, she laced her fingers with hers. He gave her a small squeeze.

 

What seemed like an eternity passed and they heard Morrigan say, “...but perhaps we should head back now?”

 

“Ah, yes, I suppose you’re right. Thank you for bringing me back, Morrigan. I really appreciate it.”

 

“Of course, Inquisitor.”

 

Their footsteps grew closer, approaching the eluvian. The two in hiding held their breath again. When the footsteps stopped, they stood completely still.

 

“Is something wrong, Morrigan?” Ena asked evenly.

 

“No, forgive me. I just imagined something.”

 

It fell silent. They waited many more long moments before Solas peered around the other side of the eluvian and relaxed. “They’re gone.” Keeping hold of her hand, he tugged Aravae along with him as they emerged from their hiding place. Both exhaled slowly, the rest of their tension melting away.

 

Side by side, they walked the lines of eluvians. They gaze sorrowfully at the ones that were shattered into pieces, remembering the places they led. One in particular that was dark, Aravae walked up to and pressed her hand against it, wincing slightly at its chilly surface. Solas paused, recalling that eluvian in particular. When he remembered, he leaned towards her and pressed a kiss to the back of her head. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yes,” she whispered, though her voice sounded choked up. “I know it can’t be activated. The other side is broken.”

 

“We may not be able to get there directly...but if you wish, one day we can venture back and visit.”

 

“Yes...I would like that. I want you to meet them.” She withdrew her hand. Solas did not move until she did. She managed to pull herself away from the eluvian that once led to Falon’din’s temple, where she had slept, and where Rienmar and Estelar rested for eternity.

 

After they walked all of them, seeing which ones were usable and which were not, Solas inquired, “Where should we start?”

 

Aravae pursed her lips with thought. “Perhaps we should try Mythal’s temple, since it sounds like that is where we are headed next. Morrigan said that it was untouched, so without any other leads, that’s likely the highest possibility we have for finding other elvhen. The sentinels are likely still there.”

 

He nodded in agreement. “Very well.”

 

They walked over to the appropriate eluvian. Solas raised his hand and muttered several different phrases in elvhen before landing on the one that made the eluvian crackle to life. Aravae inhaled sharply. It had worked. They were going to go and hopefully find other remaining elvhen. Holding hands once more, they wasted no time in stepping through.

 

Just before them rested the Vir’abelasan, its water still and mirror-like. Even from where they were, Aravae could hear the ancient whispers rising from it. She’d heard of this, but she had never seen it in person before. It was probably the most protected treasure of Mythal.

 

That made it all the stranger that were were no sentinels posted at the eluvian. Then again, it was likely that no one had traveled via eluvian in a very long time. Solas pulled her along with certainty in his stride. He must have been here before. She knew that Mythal and he had been close...at least at one point. As they walked around the Vir’abelasan, she could feel the powerful pulse of magic in the area. Did the sentinels not sleep here?

 

With a wave of his hand, Solas summoned stairs to lead them down towards the main building of the temple. As Aravae glanced around, she could tell that there used to be many other structures, but they all looked lost to time. The area they were about to walk into seemed almost entirely preserved. Before they even made it to the doorway, both of them came to a halt at almost the same time, Aravae bumping Solas’s shoulder a little. They glanced around and saw them, with their golden armor and branch-like vallaslin.

 

The sentinels were aiming arrows and spears at them.

 

_“Be calm, brethren,”_ Solas called out, raising a hand to indicate they meant no harm. _“We don’t wish to steal or disrupt anything.”_

 

_“Says the Great Trickster,”_ one of them muttered.

 

_“Who is the head of your temple?”_

 

_“...Abelas.”_

 

_“Where is he? We wish to speak with him.”_

 

_“He is already dealing with another.”_

 

Aravae frowned. Another? Someone else had made their way to the temple? That explained why they were already all awake.

 

The sentinels looked between themselves. Seemingly more peaceful than Raynia and the other Falon’din followers, they lowered their weapons. Another approached them, peering at them from under her hood. _“I will take you to him. Follow me.”_

 

_“Ma serannas.”_

 

The woman looked a little startled for some reason - perhaps because Fen’harel had just thanked her - but she nodded and led them down into the temple. They went through many twists and halls, Aravae gazing at the mosaics on the walls as they passed them by. No one spoke. The only sound was their soft footsteps on the floor and the clinking of the sentinel’s armor.

 

When they had gone deep inside the temple, they could at last hear two male voices rising to their ears, the sound bouncing off the walls. The sentinel led them through one last doorway and into a large, open room, one that looked like perhaps it was the entrance hall. Standing in nearly the center of the room were two elvhen men. One wore a hood and wore the golden armor of the sentinels. The other also wore a hood, but his clothes were nothing elaborate. They were simple traveler’s garments.

 

Aravae tilted her head ever so slightly. Why did one of those voices sound familiar?

 

_“Abelas. Fen’harel has come, through the eluvian at the back of the temple,”_ the sentinel announced.

 

Both the elvhen whirled around, one’s expression more of bewilderment and the other pure shock. The sentinel, with his golden eyes and green vallaslin, demanded, _“What-?”_

_“Fen’harel! Sir! And...Aravae?”_ The traveler threw his hood off, revealing a head full of snowy white hair, pulled back into a ponytail, entrancing amethyst eyes, and dark grey vallaslin of Mythal.

 

_“Felassan?”_ Solas and Aravae blurted simultaneously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! I'm so glad I managed to get this chapter out much quicker than the last one, despite running into a rather big problem with this one that I hadn't anticipated. I worked it out and now here we are! The Temple of Mythal with Abelas and - surprise! - Felassan is officially now in the story as well! Hehe.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, let me know what you thought, what you're anticipating, anything! Thank you all for reading.
> 
> See you soon!


	38. Chapter 38

After a few confused exchanges, Abelas interjected and led them all to a different room, where they could sit and discuss things properly. It was several rooms away from the large one that they’d been in. Down a hall of gold and more mosaics, they entered into a much smaller room that had a few chairs and a round table with spiraling legs. Abelas bid them to sit and the moment they did, Felassan began to speak.

 

_ “Sir,” _ he said, looking directly at Solas,  _ “I’ve been doing as you asked. I’ve been working with our other agents and gathering more elves to our side, especially those like Briala that has the remaining passwords for other eluvians.” _

 

As Solas gave a curt nod, Aravae glanced at him with slightly raised eyebrows. _ “How large is your network these days?” _

 

_ “Rather extensive,” _ he replied after a moment.  _ “The elves of these days are weary of how society treats them. Any offers to make life better for them that come from another elf is not so easily turned aside.” _

 

_ “...I see.” _

 

_ “And Aravae!” _ Felassan leaned back in his chair with a smirk dancing across his lips. _ “I must say, I am surprised to see you still alive and well. Lord Fen’harel had very briefly mentioned you to me, but to find you here at his side, working with him...so familiarly. It’s intriguing.” _ He arched one brow at the same time that he raised one corner of his mouth higher.  _ “Have you been...useful to him?” _

 

_ “Mind yourself, Felassan,” _ Solas muttered cooly, his expression slightly fierce.

 

Aravae could see Felassan’s mind racing as he took in Solas’s words. It seemed that something may have clicked, but before he could say more, Abelas cleared his throat.  _ “If I may? Fen’harel, what are you doing here? You came through the eluvian? Even we have not been able to access it for many centuries now. It had been locked from the other side.” _

 

Aravae left the speaking to Solas. He explained how they came across one working eluvian and the state of the Crossroads. He then went into more detail about Aravae’s vision for the elvhen and the modern elves, being sure to credit her. Felassan seemed quite interested at that tidbit as he listened to them. Abelas kept a rather stoic expression as Solas went on, explaining how they’d pick an eluvian that they could access to come through and see if there were remaining sentinels, like how there had been at Falon’din’s temple they’d gone to.  _ “...and as for the rest...there is a rather large, urgent matter that requires attention.” _ Solas paused. _ “There is a being, an ancient Tevinter magister that has my orb. We have strong reason to believe that he is coming here to the temple for the Vir’abelasan.” _

 

Silence fell as Abelas absorbed this information. When he spoke, it was with a tone of disapproval. _ “He has your orb. He is able to use its power for his own?” _

 

_ “Yes.” _

 

_ “Even if he were to find his way here, we have many defenses in place. Defenses set by Mythal herself during the wars, to protect the people who sought sanctuary here. They would have brought Elgar’nan himself to a halt, for a time.” _

 

Aravae spoke up at last.  _ “He has a great force, as well. I imagine that you don’t know much of the outside world right now?” _

 

_ “That is accurate.” _

 

_ “Do you remember the red lyrium that Andruil had discovered?” _

 

Abelas’s brows furrowed. _ “I do.” _

 

_ “It is above ground now, brought forth by Corypheus. He is some form of darkspawn, though he is not mindless. This lyrium has been forced upon warriors and mages, corrupting them, mind and body alike. They fight blindly for him and he has an army of them.” _

 

_ “She speaks the truth.” _ Felassan crossed one knee over the other. _ “I have come across them in my travels as well. They are quite ferocious. I am beginning to believe that the more corrupted they are, they have no concept of pain. I can strike one and they still come at me without barely flinching.” _

 

_ “Then we sentinels and our defenses will destroy them. They will not even come close to the Vir’abelasan,” _ Abelas announced with certainty. _ “Though we dwindle in numbers, we still remain strong. Even this Corypheus will be unfamiliar with our magic.” _

 

_ “Abelas.” _ Solas leaned forward, resting his arms on the round table.  _ “I urge you to take every precaution. I urge you to prepare as though you believe he could make it that far into the temple. The Inquisition - a force we currently are a part of - will be sending their own troops here to stop Corypheus from progressing. He seeks to enter the Fade physically and destroy everything, including what remains of our people.” _

 

Abelas’s eyes narrowed, his gaze focusing on the golden table before him. _ “Hmm. He aspires to godhood?” _

 

_ “He already declares himself as one.” _

 

Felassan groaned quietly.  _ “There’s nothing worse than a man with powerful ambitions and the strength to destroy those who oppose him.” _

 

A heavy silence fell in the room, weighing down on their shoulders until Abelas sighed.  _ “Very well. We shall prepare. When can we expect him?” _

 

Aravae pursed her lips.  _ “Judging by reports we’ve received, sometime close to two weeks.” _

 

Felassan glanced back in her direction.  _ “I imagine you have some plan in mind to help, lady strategist?” _

 

_ “I am still trying to think. There are so many factors to take into consideration.” _ Aravae gave him a light glare.  _ “But of the other matter, the new elvhen city...would you two consider joining with us in that and helping?” _

 

Felassan was quick to give a light shrug and a nod.  _ “I am a little surprised to hear that that is what you’ve both decided on, but of course. I will help. I can begin spreading the word to the shadows and see how many followers we can produce.” _

 

Solas nodded approvingly to Felassan. All eyes then turned to Abelas, who was still stone-faced.  _ “It will all depend on the flow of the battle to come. If the Vir’abelasan is protected, our solemn duty is to guard it. It cannot fall into anyone’s hands.  _ **_If_ ** _ , however, it is destroyed...we shall see. With no duty, we would need a new purpose in life. Some goal to guide us. Or else…” _

 

Aravae shook her head. _ “You don’t need to go on, Abelas. I understand. For what it’s worth, I hope that we are able to protect it.” _

 

_ “...Yes. I hope for that as well.” _ Abelas sat up straight and nodded, looking around at all of them. _ “If that is all? We will begin preparations at once. It will take some time.” _

 

_ “Yes, of course.” _ Solas stood, the others following suit. _ “Thank you, Abelas. Take care.” _

 

_ “You all as well. One of the others will see you back to the eluvian. Unless, of course, you wish to leave by the forest…?” _

 

_ “No, the eluvian. Thank you.” _

 

_ “As you wish. Felassan, I believe we were finished, as well?” _

 

_ “Indeed.” _

 

Abelas guided them from the room, then called out to the woman sentinel that had initially led them to Abelas. With her gesture, the three of them followed her down the twists and turns of the halls. Aravae cast a glance to Felassan out of the corner of her eye. _ ”I wasn’t entirely certain for quite some time that you were alive, either.” _

 

_ “Me? Why, Aravae. You should know that it takes a powerful force in this world to kill me.” _

 

_ “You always were rather persistent, now that you mention it.” _

 

_ “Ah!” _ He clutched at his chest with one hand dramatically, making Aravae think of Dorian for a moment.  _ “You’re as cold hearted as ever...what is it the elves of the Inquisition call you now? Era-” _

 

_ “You sent that in a report to him?” _ Aravae looked at Solas rather indignantly. Without pause, he shook his head in protest.

 

_ “Please, Aravae. I work with the little people. They know me and trust me. They were the ones who told me.” _

 

_ “So you’ve slinked around Inquisition outposts?” _

 

_ “Indeed I have. Though you could choose a better word than slink. I’m not a snake, you know.” _

 

_ “Hmm.” _

 

_ “It’s interesting to see that some things don’t change,” _ Solas murmured under his breath.

 

As if she hadn’t heard him, Aravae furrowed her brows at Felassan.  _ “Wait. Why  _ **_are_ ** _ you coming with us back through the eluvian?” _

 

_ “I thought you were a strategist! I’m just going to go through one of the other eluvians in the Crossroads and be on my way.” _

 

She grunted approvingly.

 

Once they arrived at the eluvian, the sentinel gave a quick bow, mainly to Solas, and gave a wave of her arm, encouraging them to proceed. They thanked her and stepped through the portal, coming out to the dark Crossroads once more. Solas sealed off the eluvian behind them, just in case. He left it to where it could still be accessed, but he couldn’t risk Morrigan returning here to see an eluvian suddenly active, whereas it hadn’t been before. 

 

_ “Oh...my,” _ Felassan whispered with heartbroken awe, looking at all of the broken eluvians.  _ “How awful. Such a waste. Do you think you could build any new ones?” _

 

Solas hummed thoughtfully.  _ “Given if I had enough time. Making a single one is no easy process and clearly the technique has long been lost, save for a handful of elvhen, including myself.” _

 

_ “I see. Well, I won’t keep you two any longer.” _ With a surprisingly serious expression Felassan picked an eluvian, one that would lead very far to the other side of Thedas. _ “Is there anything else, Lord Fen’harel?” _

 

_ “No, Felassan. Keep in touch.” _

 

_ “That I shall.”  _ The same as it had been with Solas, Felassan had to try a couple of different passwords before the eluvian came to life before him. With a small bow, he said,  _ “My Lord. Lady strategist.” _

 

_ “Until next time, Felassan.” _ Aravae nodded her head at him.

 

With a small grin, he vanished past the eluvian and closed it behind him, leaving the Crossroads silent and grim once more. Sighing softly, Solas said, “That was quite a deal more than even I had been expecting.”

 

“I wasn’t expecting Felassan to be there, or for the sentinels to be awake.”

 

“Likely, they woke because he was there.”

 

“Yes, you’re right.”

 

“For now, we can continue this discussion later. Shall we?”

 

Aravae sagged her shoulders a little bit, thinking of what was to come. Solas activated another eluvian and they stepped through, not prepared for the total darkness and thick, dusty air that greeted them on the other side. Aravae summoned a flame while Solas closed the eluvian. This eluvian, which was located deep in the forest of the Exalted Plains, had once been in a grand cave. Clearly, the entrance had either been sealed by someone or natural cave-ins had blocked them in. Solas used his rift magic and shifted all of the rocks blocking their path, sending them out of the cave until it was flooded with light. They left the dark cave quickly, Solas filling in the rocks once they were clear. It was better that they not leave it open for access from this side.

 

They laced their fingers together and then Solas called upon his magic to send them rushing forward with large fadesteps. Since they could not return to Morrigan’s eluvian within Skyhold without setting off her wards, they had picked the next closest eluvian and were going to cover as much distance as they could with the help of their magic before night fell. The lie that they’d given Ena and the inner circle to spread, should anyone ask, was that they were out on a short ruin exploration trip. They wouldn’t be able to make it all the way back, but they would be able to get very close.

 

Since fadestepping required immense concentration, their journey was silent. They took turns and sipped lyrium potions. They ducked away from enemies and animal pradators alike. Aravae had grumbled internally more than once that this was not an ideal way to travel. She missed the easy use of the eluvians. She was tired of crossing the continent on foot or hartback. 

 

Her mind was busy thinking to fill the silence. She had to fend off thoughts that she wanted to have about the new city they could build. Where should they build it? How would they ward it? Who all would be allowed? Would they have many elves that would come? Would they have many elvhen?

 

Instead, she forced herself to think about what she needed to - the thing that was of more immediate danger. Corypheus entering the Arbor Wilds and bringing his army to the Temple of Mythal. There were no roads or paths for him to follow. He would likely just cut as straight a path as he could. He would likely raze the forest to the ground if it got him there quicker. She hoped it didn’t come to that. If the temple was untouched, that meant the majority of the forest was, too. Its magic should help to protect it some.

 

She thought of the poor Inquisition soldiers. They’d just seen horrors at Adamant Fortress and now they were marching straight from there to the south to face even more. She hoped they wouldn’t lose their conviction. Perhaps she should arrange for Ena and the rest of the inner circle to come to the Wilds a couple of days before they anticipated the battle. Seeing the Inquisitor would likely boost their morale.

 

When dusk came, they were at the foot of the Frostback Mountains. Both were wiping sweat from their brows and panting heavily. They’d done well with just several hours of traveling by fadestep, but they couldn’t press on any further. Rather, they shouldn’t. They would run out of energy and get trapped up in the freezing, open air on the mountains. They found a decent shelter up against the mountain with an overhanging rock face. Thankfully, there was no wind to chill them even worse.

 

They gathered wood for a fire and lit it, huddling near it and sitting nearly limply, letting their bodies rest. That is, until Solas sat more upright, pressing his back to the rock, and gesturing for Aravae to come closer. She shifted and made herself comfortable between his open legs, her head resting on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her midsection, holding her close, while his other hand began to play with her messy locks, gently working out tangles. After about the fourth wince from Aravae, she muttered under her breath, “I should just cut it.”

 

“That would be a waste, ma vhenan,” he mumbled, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “It is so beautiful.”

 

“Your hair was quite lovely once,” she pointed out with a small, tired smirk.

 

He chuckled softly, Aravae feeling the light vibrations in her head. “Would you like me to grow it back?”

 

“You can do whatever you wish. I do not mind either way, personally.”

 

He hummed thoughtfully, then fell silent. They listened to the crackling of the fire for a time, watching its flames dance and the shadows flit about. An urge bubbled up inside Aravae. Perhaps Solas would think she was silly, but she wanted to… It had been so long.

 

She took a breath and began to sing, so softly, an ancient song of love. She felt him go completely still, but he was not tense. He was listening and he did not interrupt her. Her voice was unpracticed, though she never thought it was good by any stretch, and it was a little weak since she was singing it quietly, but she did not have the confidence to sing it any louder. She sustained the last note and let her voice fade out until all that could be heard again was the cracks in the fire.

 

“That was lovely,” Solas whispered. “What brought that on, may I ask?”

 

“I’m not sure,” she replied honestly. She turned her head sideways, listening to the steady beat of his heart, and closed her eyes. “Though there are so many terrible things happening all around us, I feel...content. I could lay here with you forever and not once complain. I did not think I would ever be happy like this again.”

 

“And I never believed I would be happy at all. Yet here I am, the luckiest man with such a radiant woman.”

 

Her cheeks warmed and she protested, “I am no such thing.”

 

Solas shifted around just enough to where he could lean his head down and plant a small kiss to the side of her forehead. “I forget you do not know how to take compliments. Shall I sit here and recite all of the things that race through my mind when I think of you and your beauty, your grace, your indomitable will-?”

 

“Solas!” 

 

“Haha. Yes, ma lath?” He broke off into elvhen again, showering her with flowery words of praise and adoration.

 

She felt herself growing more and more embarrassed the more he spoke, but he refused to stop. Even when she raised a hand to swat at him, he grabbed her by her wrists and pinned them down at her sides. He closed the little distance between their faces, his breath hot and tickling her ear. Just as she felt a warmth pooling in her belly, she sat forward. As far as Solas would allow, anyways. “Solas, wait. Do you hear that?”

 

Hearing the urgency in her tone, he fell silent and listened. It was somewhere in the distance, the sounds of a horse galloping. It sounded like it was someone making their way down from the mountains. They were far enough off the beaten path to not be seen easily, but both mages still tensed and waited. They turned their gaze to where the trailhead from the mountain came to an end. Sure enough, a horse and rider came barreling off the path and turned northwest, heading into Orlais’ territory. 

 

“A lone rider? That is a bit unusual,” Aravae commented. 

 

“Indeed. However, he did not see us, so he will not disturb us. He looks as though he’s pushing his horse to its limits, riding with a fire at his back.”

 

Aravae gave a light shrug. It did not concern them. She relaxed and leaned back against Solas once more. He released one of her wrists just long enough to slide her hair over her left shoulder. Where there was exposed skin on her neck, he slowly covered it with kisses.

 

* * *

 

It took some time the following morning for Aravae to stop smiling, but once she and Solas continued their journey up into the mountains, that seemed to do it. That, and Solas kept teasing her about it like a child. 

 

They managed to cut their frigid journey short by fadestepping the rest of the way up, stopping at last when they reached the bridge leading into Skyhold. The moment they entered in through the gates, something felt wrong. There was a concerned murmur rising from the guards and a large number of the inner circle were at the barn. Aravae and Solas exchanged a look, then made their way over. 

 

“Ah, they’re back!” Dorian called out, drawing everyone’s attention to the two elvhen as they approached.

 

“You two wouldn’t have happened to have passed Blackwall on the mountain, would you have?” Vivienne inquired quickly.

 

“No, we didn’t.” Aravae frowned. “What’s wrong?”

 

Ena appeared through the crowd and handed a paper to Aravae, her expression nothing short of confused and concerned. “It seems that he’s gone to Orlais. He left this in the barn. Horsemaster Dennet said that he mounted up and rode out of Skyhold just before the gates closed last night, saying he was going on an overnight hunting trip.”

 

Aravae scanned the paper. “What would some soldier from Orlais have to do with him?”

 

“Maybe he knows the guy somehow,” Bull suggested.

 

“He has to be someone important, or else he would not have left on the eve of a battle like this.” Ena furrowed her brows and looked to both of them. “And then there’s Cole. Solas, Josephine got a shipment of things in yesterday afternoon, including the amulet you asked for. Since then, Cole’s been restless and acting very strangely. Varric’s with him...somewhere. Do you think you two could help Cole?”

 

“Of course. What of you? Will you go after Blackwall?” Solas asked.

 

“Yes. We have to. It’s unlike him to not say anything and just...leave. Cullen noticed first, since Blackwall’s normally at the morning drills with the recruits.” Ena glanced around. “Will some of you go with me?”

 

There were agreements and it was set. In a flurry of activity, Ena and her group accompanying her went to prepare while Dennet got the word to get the mounts ready. Aravae quickly wished Ena luck before the redhead disappeared towards her room. She could tell how perplexed Ena was about the entire situation. Another part of her was thinking,  _ We leave Skyhold for one night and things go to the Void. _

 

With their own goal to take care of, they set out to search for Varric and Cole. “What do you think is wrong with him?” Aravae glanced around the healing tents, one of Cole’s usual haunts.

 

“I...do know, actually. He came to me during the journey back from Adamant and he was panicking about being possessed. He demanded rather strongly that I bind him.”

 

“He what?!”

 

“I denied him, of course, but that wouldn’t calm him at all. I read in a book about Rivaini seers using special amulets to protect spirits they summoned from blood magic and the like. I concluded it should be able to protect him from summonings and bindings and being twisted into a demon.”

 

She exhaled sharply. “I wasn’t aware at all. He must have been frightened from everything he saw and felt there.”

 

“He wished that we not trouble you with it, seeing as I had a possible solution.”

 

She smiled sadly. “He’s too kind.”

 

With no luck in finding him outdoors, they headed up and into the keep. Not seeing him in the Great Hall, they veered off towards Solas’s rotunda to head up towards the library, but to their surprise, there they were. Cole was pacing anxiously, holding the amulet so tight in his fingers that even his pale knuckles looked ghostly white. Varric was standing stationary, talking softly to him. When they heard the door open, Cole immediately made a beeline to Solas, holding the object out to him. “What do I do with it?”

 

Aravae closed the door behind them while Solas took the amulet and examined it. “It is simple enough, Cole. You put it on, I charge it with magic, and you should be protected.”

 

“Kid...are you ready?” Varric asked softly from behind him.

 

Cole hung his head for a moment, then raised it back up with furrowed brows and a more determined look on his face than Aravae had ever seen. “They can’t make me a monster.”

 

“Very well. Put it on.”

 

The moment Solas handed it back to Cole, he glanced about his body, looking for a place to put it. Once he was satisfied, he looked towards Solas, waiting silently. He held out his hand, teeming with magic, and sent it pouring into the amulet. Aravae watched as the amulet began to glow, but then-  _ crack! _

 

There was a loud popping sound as the magic cut off with a snap in the air. Everyone recoiled slightly, but Cole cried out, as if it had pained him. Varric demanded, “What was that?”

 

“It didn’t work,” Cole moaned desperately. “Why?”

 

Aravae took a step forward and rested a gentle hand on his arm. “Perhaps something was interfering with the enchantment? The amulet didn’t retain any of the magic.”

 

“Something like Cole  _ not _ being a  _ demon _ ?” Varric mumbled with his arms crossed. 

 

“Granted,” she admitted. “But he is...complicated. A complicated spirit.”

 

“Yes!” The dwarf raised up an index finger. “A spirit who is strangely like a person!”

 

Cole began to pace once more, looking down at his hands. “ _ I _ don’t matter. Just lock away the parts of me that someone else could knot together to make me follow.”

 

Solas spoke calmly. “Focus on the amulet. Tell me what you feel.” 

 

Cole slowed to a stop and they all watched his back anxiously as he went still. “...Warm, soft blanket covering, but it catches, tears, I’m the wrong shape, there’s something…” He turned ominously, pointed in a vague direction. “There. That way.”

 

Aravae glanced in the direction he was pointing to, as if that would help her decide on a location. She looked back at him with a reassuring look. “We’ll find whatever is preventing the amulet from working and we’ll make it right, Cole.”

 

Varric nodded in agreement. “Alright, Kid. Get Cullen and work with him on the map to figure out where you’re sensing something wrong.”

 

“Will you come with me? All of you?”   
  


“Sure.”

  
  


Seemingly satisfied with that, Cole set off for wherever he sensed Cullen at the moment. Though he was gone from the room, Varric looked at Solas and spoke in a low tone. “Alright. I get it. You like spirits. But he came into this world to be a person. Let him be one.”

 

“I understand why you feel that way,” Aravae interjected before Solas could speak, “but Cole is a spirit. He has magical abilities as well vulnerabilities. We can’t just ignore that.”

 

“Fair enough. But that ritual of theirs only works on demons, right?”

 

Solas narrowed his eyes, appearing to be losing patience. “This is not some fanciful story, durgen’len. We cannot change our nature by wishing.”

 

Varric’s voice grew even softer. “You don’t think?”

 

“However we deal with the problem, our next step is to track down whatever is interfering with the enchantment.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you. Let’s see where he comes up with for a location. If it’s close enough, we can go and be back by time the others get back from Val Royeaux.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm slowly getting back onto something more resembling a routine. Sorry for making you all wait! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was close to having some smut, but then you would've had to have waited even longer, so I'll let you all just use your imagination for Solas and Aravae's...night together.
> 
> Allow me a sappy moment. This story means so much to me and of course, all of you telling me how much you like it and how you're awaiting the next chapters with anticipation just put me over the moon. You all really know how to make a girl feel special. I'm over four hundred pages in now, but alas, our time is winding down. I will be a bit surprised if we make it to 50 chapters, but maybe I'll make that a goal. To end on 50.
> 
> Thank you all for being here and coming on this ride with me. I'll see you all next chapter! <3


	39. Chapter 39

Cole directed them towards Redcliffe. Though Aravae wished they could have spent an evening in Skyhold, she could feel the urgency and panic coming from Cole, even if it wasn’t emphasized by his pacing and mutterings. They mounted up to ride out of Skyhold that afternoon, when the sun was high. Vivienne had extended an offer to go with them, which surprised most of them, it seemed. Vivienne had never particularly cared for Cole, so to hear her offering assistance was unexpected. However, Cole was the one to thank her generously, but assured her that their group would be enough. He added, “I don’t wish to take you from your studies. The heart will be here soon.”

 

Though that brought a sharp expression to Vivienne’s face, it did not appear to be anger. She merely gave a curt nod and went about her business back up above the main hall. Banal’ras, who had apparently been skulking about the fortress, not allowing anyone but Ena close, had discovered Aravae’s return and ran up to both her and Ghilana. The black beast did not hesitate to pad alongside them once they began to ride.

 

The journey was quiet, but at least they didn’t have too relatively far to travel. They didn’t bring many supplies - only the bare minimum, so that they could travel light and fast. When they stopped for the evening to sleep and rest the mounts, Varric inquired as to how their real mission went. Aravae assured him that it went better than expected, but that they would divulge all of the information when they returned to Skyhold with everyone there. She asked him in returned if he had seen Morrigan at all since yesterday. He told her that he hadn’t.

 

Solas winced at one point when he stood up from the fire, Varric commenting on it with curiosity. After Cole began to string words together that all to strongly implied what Solas and Aravae had done together the night before, the woman flushed from the tips of her ears and down to her chest, excusing herself while Varric fought down bouts of laughter.

 

When Redcliffe came into view, it was all too welcoming of a sight. The moment they finished up their business there, they could be back to Skyhold, where Aravae knew all of the hidden corridors to hide away from Varric from until he had better thoughts on his mind. Better than those nosey ones of their love life, anyways. She thankfully didn’t have to try and coax Banal’ras too much to stay out of the village. The panther slinked off back the way they’d come, likely to go off and hunt. She sighed softly with relief, pleased that she could avoid a panic in the city.

 

Unfortunately, there was no time to relax. Things already escalated within an hour of them entering the village. Cole spotted a man that had been speaking with a dwarf and froze on the spot. The others came to a halt as well, Aravae following Cole’s line of sight to the human man that was now approaching them. “Greetings. Can I help you?”

 

“You,” Cole hissed in a low tone that was not like himself. Before any of the three could stop him, Cole vanished in the blink of an eye and reappeared just a foot away from the man. He reached out a hand and shoved it onto the human’s head, pushing him down to his knees. Cole raised his other hand up, wielding a dagger, and growled lothingly, “You killed me!”

 

The man gave off a nervous laugh and raised his hands, showing he wanted no trouble. “What, I don’t… I don’t even know you!”

 

“You forgot!” Cole shouted through clenched teeth. His rage was enough to send a shiver down Aravae’s spine. It kept her from moving forward, even though alarms went off in her mind. A spirit of Compassion should not be acting like this. “You locked me in the dungeon in the Spire and you forgot and I died in the dark!”

 

The man’s face twisted into a mixture of confusion and terror. “The Spire?”

 

At last, one of them managed to uproot themselves. Solas took several steps forward and called, “Cole, stop.”

 

Cole’s hand reeled away from the man’s head and without pause, he took off running, deeper into Redcliffe, towards the Chantry. The spirit boy watched him go, his hand with the dagger lowering much more slowly. He took a step after the man, then two, then three. Varric rushed to block his path. “Just take it easy, kid.”

 

“He killed me!” Cole pointed a finger after the man, gesturing violently. “He killed me. That’s why it doesn’t work. He killed me and I have to kill him back!”

 

Aravae moved closer towards them, getting ready to speak, but Solas beat her to it. He sounded wise, sure, and almost...fatherly. “Cole, this man cannot have killed you. You are a spirit. You have no even possessed a body.”

 

The boy shook his head before tilting it towards the ground, his voice cracking slightly. “A broken body, bloody, banged on the stone cell, guts gripping in the dark dank, a capture apostate.” He raised his head his eyes distant and sad. “They threw him into the dungeon in the Spire at Val Royeaux. They forgot about him. He starved to death.”

 

An icy hand gripped at Aravae’s chest. The man was a former Templar, then? The cruelty of the Templars seemed to know no bounds. 

 

“I came through to help...and I couldn’t. So I became him.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “Cole.”

 

Varric inhaled deeply, slowly. “If Cole was an apostate, that’d make the guy we just saw a Templar. Must’ve been buying lyrium.”

 

“Let me kill him,” Cole said slowly. “I need to… I need to.” He brushed by Varric, taking creeping steps around the sizeable statue in the way of keeping the man in his sight.

 

Aravae shook her head and looked to Solas with fear. “Solas, you know we can’t allow Cole to kill him.”

 

“I don’t think anyone was going to suggest that, Ivy,” Varric mumbled dryly.

 

She turned her gaze to the dwarf, desperate to make him understand why they needed to stop him. “Cole is a spirit, not a human. The death of the real Cole hurt him, it…”

 

“Perverted him from his purpose,” Solas supplied. “In order to regain that part of himself, he must forgive.”

 

“Come on,” the dwarf scoffed. “You don’t forgive someone  _ killing _ you.”

 

“ _ You _ don’t. A spirit can.”

 

“Look, the kid’s angry. He needs to work through it.”

 

Solas’s voice rose, his temper shortening. “A spirit does not work through emotions. It embodies them!”

 

“But he isn’t a spirit, is he? He made himself human and humans change. They get hurt and they heal. He needs to work it out like a  _ person _ .”

 

“You would alter the essence of what he is!”

 

“He did that to himself when he left the Fade. I’m just helping him survive it!”

 

Aravae growled and stepped between the two men, sparks flying from her skin. “Enough. Both of you.” Before giving either of them a chance to speak further, she stormed past them and towards Cole. She made certain that he knew she was standing there before she took hold of his hand, which was normally rather chilly. Now, it was warm. Too warm. “Cole. Come.”

 

She did not wait to see if the two she’d left behind were following. She tugged Cole along for a couple of steps, but he quickly matched her pace, his demeanor softening slightly. They could still see the man as he caught sight of them. He took a few steps backwards before barreling to the left, down towards the lake. Aravae told Cole gently, “Block his way.”

 

His hand slipped away from hers as he vanished. She took long strides, closing the distance between herself and the man as Cole appeared before him. He shook his head and murmured to himself. He spun around on his heel, but saw that his way of escape was blocked. He twisted back around to face Cole before falling to his knees, his head hanging. 

 

Aravae wanted to kill him herself and she detested ending life. She knew firsthand how twisted the Templars were, though there were plenty more who suffered much worse fates than she nearly had. Her heart ached for the real Cole, thinking of a frail young man, screaming and begging to be set free, only for his voice to die away in the dark. This man didn’t deserve to draw breath.

 

However, this was for Cole - Compassion. She couldn’t let him wind up like Wisdom, twisted away from his original purpose, turned into a raging demon. Though the words struggled to come out, she inquired, “Can you feel this man’s pain?”

 

Cole’s icy eyes lowered down to look at the man. Aravae heard footsteps coming to a halt behind her. Solas and Varric had followed. With certainty, Cole informed her, “He remembers now. He knows he killed me.”

 

He still sounded too angry. “No, Cole. Feel his pain. His guilt. His shame that drove him from the Templars.”

 

Cole looked at Aravae, then back to the man. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, his hands coming to his front, fingers wringing together. “‘Don’t worry, we’ll erase his records.’ They clap me on the shoulder, smell of oiled metal and blood.” He took a breath before continuing. “They smile like Louis did when he made me drown the kittens. Laughter bounces off the walls like a thin child’s fists.”

 

“I’m sorry,” the man gasped through a thick and heavy sob. “I’m so sorry…”

 

Aravae felt her own twinge of guilt. She needed to remember herself that not all men were born evil. Some were in unfortunate situations and had evil forced upon them. Still, it didn’t make this any easier...for her or for Cole. “He is hurting, Cole. You are a spirit of Compassion.”

 

It seemed like those words were finally what got through to Cole. He pondered silently, gazing at this broken man before him that was shuddering with soft cries. His brows furrowed for a split second, but he then stepped forward and held out his hand, much differently than he had before. With a quick flash of light, Cole’s fingers made contact with the man’s forehead. “Forget.”

 

The sobs faded as the man looked up at Cole, his body going tense. He jumped to his feet and backed up so quickly that he bumped into Aravae before she could move. He swirled around, looking at her with nothing short of pure confusion, before taking off. Cole watched him go, not looking at Aravae as she slowly approached him. She raised a hand and touched it to the amulet on his chest, letting her magic flow into it as she had seen Solas do. “Cole? Are you okay?” she asked gently.

 

“Yes,” he replied after a pregnant pause. “He’s free. We’re both free.”

 

“Isn’t that just peachy,” Varric muttered under his breath.

 

Aravae turned and gave him a sharp look. She looked back at the amulet as it began to glow. “I think we may be okay now, Cole.”

 

“...Yes.” He at last looked at all three of them. “You are tired, hungry. Go get some food, rest. I will be around until we’re ready to leave.”

 

With that, he was gone.

 

Though none of them necessarily cared for how he left before they could discuss things, they had to all admit that they were weary, unlike their spirit companion, who required neither food nor sleep. They went into the tavern that was nearby for a quick bite to eat, but they all agreed that they did not want to spend the night in Redcliffe. They were unsure as to how long Ena and the others would take in Val Royeaux, so they didn’t want to be the ones who held everything up. After they finished eating, they replenished the few supplies they needed for the return journey, then headed for where they’d left their mounts, Cole joining them at some point along the way.

 

That night, as they made camp in one of the abandoned buildings off of the King’s Road, Cole offered to go and gather the firewood they needed. When he vanished, Banal’ras growled lowly, swishing his tail back and forth until Aravae shushed him soothingly.

 

“The amulet appears to be working,” Solas announced. “Cole should be adequately protected.”

 

“Have you heard what he sounds like?” Varric demanded. “He sounds...worse than when we first met him.”

 

“He sounds like a  _ spirit _ .”

 

All too quickly, there was a clatter as cole reappeared, dropping firewood at his feet. “Nonsense words, like Bartrand at the end. ‘Just need to hear the song again. Just for a minute.’ I’m alright, Varric.”

 

The ghost of a smile on the boy’s lips gave Aravae a slightly better feeling about the entire situation. “Cole, are you feeling well?”

 

“I am,” he said rather cheerily. “There is work, wounded to help, hurts to heal, but the weight is off. The old chains have fallen.”

 

Varric didn’t sound as sure. “You’re not still angry with the man who hurt you?”

 

“No. I helped him forget. His pain no longer pulls at me.” He glanced up, looking out into the darkness. “Slipping away into the cover of night, we must run, we must hide, somewhere he won’t find us. If he finds us, he’ll kill me and take little Jimmy away…”

 

He vanished again.

 

Varric hung his head and began situating the firewood. “He could have been a person,” he murmured.

 

“Possibly. Would that have made him happier, durgen’len?” Solas asked with a chill in his tone.

 

Aravae looked between the two with a glare. “Really? The both of you are acting like children. Even worse, you’re both acting like Cole is your child that you are personally responsible for!” She locked her gaze on Varric. “You must understand. We could not leave Cole as he was. Though you may have desired for him to be a person, and even if he did become...less spirit-like, he would still have those weaknesses. He could still be bound, summoned, corrupted. We have already lost one friend that way. I refuse to lose another. With that said,” she narrowed her eyes and whirled back towards Solas, “do not be so spiteful and close minded as to spit upon Varric. He does not think as we do and he does not understand as we do. Just because he is ignorant-”

 

“ _ Hey _ .”

 

“-does not mean he is stupid or evil for wishing something for Cole. Now, are we finished behaving like this so that we can get back to Skyhold without wanting to be at each other's’ throats?”

 

There was a heavy silence before both Solas and Varric mumbled something that sounded affirmative. Aravae accepted it and went ahead and slid into her bedroll. 

 

“Damn, Chuckles,” she heard Varric whisper some time later, after he probably thought she had fallen asleep. “Don’t ever get on her bad side. Just imagine if I wasn’t here to take a piece of the brunt for you.”

 

“While I appreciate the sacrifice,” Solas replied with heavy sarcasm, “that is not something you have to tell me, Master Tethras.”

 

With a slight grin on her lips, Aravae allowed herself to drift off to sleep. 

 

Thankfully, after her lecture, the rest of their journey back to Skyhold was quick and far more pleasant. They rode into the fortress together with their heads held high, pleased that they had managed to accomplish what they’d set out to do and they’d gotten it done in such a timely manner. Aravae checked with Leliana and she confirmed that Ena and the others had not yet returned, but that they were en route. They were expected back by the following morning.

 

With hearing that news, Aravae ventured off towards her tower for some much-needed alone time. Though it had been days now, she still felt a little on edge and guilty about fussing at Solas and Varric. They were both being thick-headed! She didn’t regret it, she just wanted some quiet time to attempt at destressing. Thankfully, Solas wasn’t waiting in her tower for her. Perhaps he could sense that she didn’t desire any company at the moment. 

 

She undressed and took a hot bath to soothe her aches and tired muscles. She took her time scrubbing clean and washing her grubby hair. When she managed to pull herself out of the warm water, she was all too happy to put on a pair of clean clothes. She selected a book off of her desk - one of Solas’s that she’d taken that was about theories on the Veil - and walked up to the top of the tower. Her wet hair made her a little chilly, but she easily cast a spell to warm herself. She sat down in a corner, propping her back against the stone, and opened the book. Banal’ras curled up beside of her.

 

She whiled the day away reading the book and studying it, curious as to some of the theories that the author had written about. It was interesting to hear points of view from others on why they believed the Veil existed and what would happened if it were brought down. The unfortunate thing was, not even Solas and Aravae could even guess what would happen. It wasn’t like anything like this had happened before. The most they could do would be extensive research, possibly attempt some experiments, and see where they could go from there. They most definitely did not want to rush things.

 

By time the sun fell behind the mountain peaks, it became much chillier. With a light shudder, Aravae closed the book and made her way back inside. Once she set the book down, she felt the pang of hunger. Right, she hadn’t even gotten up to eat at any point during the day. She tended to do that when she got absorbed into a book. Banal’ras followed along behind her as she left her room and the tower, heading down towards the tavern.

 

As it usually was, it was loud and rambunctious. Though Bull had gone with Ena, the Chargers remained behind and ensured that the party night after night continued. Dalish spotted her almost immediately and waved her over to their table, but Aravae shook her head with a small smile. She headed over to the bar to speak with Cabot about some food...which he wouldn’t provide to her without a drink. She nearly rolled her eyes. Nearly. Still, she accepted the mug of whatever he poured her and sat at one of the seats to wait for her food. She turned her back to the bar and looked out to see what all was going on in the tavern. Maryden was beginning to play a tune. Most of the Chargers were gathered at their usual table, but Krem was sitting in his spot, sipping from a bottle, only half participating with his group. She wondered if there was something on his mind. 

 

When she glanced up towards the second floor, in the corner near Sera’s room sat Varric, Solas, and to her surprise, Vivienne. It wasn’t often that Vivienne came to the tavern. Not that Aravae could really blame her. It was loud and rambunctious and one had to be in the mood to socialize. Vivienne was normally shut away in her area, reading and studying things that she didn’t often discuss.

 

When Cabot called at her, offering up her plate of food, Aravae thanked him, balanced it and her drink, and headed up for the second floor. She made her way through the crowded areas with her jaw clenched slightly. She didn’t care for large crowds, usually, but especially didn’t like brushing up against others. When she made it to the corner, which was a little quieter, Vivienne slid down on the bench to make room for her. Banal’ras looked like he considered crawling under the table, but decided against i, sitting behind the bench instead.

 

Varric grinned at her. “Ivy! Haven’t seen you at all since we got back this morning.”

 

“That would be because I was reading.”

 

“Ah, nothing wrong with that. I could do with a bit of rest and relaxation myself.”

 

“Well, now might be your only chance. Ena and the others are due back first thing tomorrow, then we’ll likely be leaving soon for the Arbor Wilds,” Aravae informed him.

 

He scrunched his nose up. “You’ve got a point there. I’ll be in the Great Hall if anyone needs me.” He stood up, then tapped the tabletop. “See you guys later.”

 

They all nodded silently at him. Aravae took a sip of her drink, pleased to see Cabot at least forced something on her that she liked. She then turned her head to look at Vivienne. “I’m a little surprised to see you here.”

 

“I am surprised myself, to be honest with you.” She sat so straight, swirling a wine glass in her hand that was nearly empty. “I felt like I needed a break. I’ve been...working hard on a project of mine and I’ve gotten about as far as I can go.” She took a small sip, then raised a brow with intrigue. “Actually...I don’t suppose… No, nevermind.”

 

“What is it?” Solas inquired.

 

She pursed her lips in thought. “I don’t suppose either of you are familiar with modern alchemy?”

 

Aravae hummed with thought just before she took a bite of her warm food, then shook her head. Solas furrowed his brows. “What kind, specifically?”

 

“Essentially, to reverse the aging process…”

 

* * *

 

Aravae and Solas had remained up for some time, discussing theories with Vivienne. She wouldn’t reveal the purpose of her project with the alchemical formula she was working on. All she would say was that it wasn’t for herself. Only when they paused in their conversation did they realize how late it had gotten. The noise level had dropped considerably and when Solas glanced over the railing, he reported that it was mostly just passed out drunks left, but Cabot was taking care of them. Vivienne appeared a little flustered, apologized for taking their time, and excused herself. 

 

The two elvhen filed back to Aravae’s tower for the evening to sleep. The small bit of tension that had been there had dissipated as they walked through the Fade together. They’d been enjoying their time and even found a spirit that they were speaking with when Aravae suddenly lurched awake, disturbed by a banging on her door. Banal’ras growled rather grumpily and Solas shifted, coming to more slowly. Aravae groaned and rubbed her face. She slipped into loose clothes before cracking open the door, unintentionally glaring at whoever was on the other side.

 

It was Cullen. He appeared tired, judging by the bags under his eyes, but then again, that was almost his normal appearance. Aravae was beginning to think the man never slept. There was a somber expression on his face that caused her to frown. “What’s wrong, Cullen?”

 

He took a quick breath, then paused. With a heavy sigh, he said, “I think you should go to the Inquisitor.”

 

“Why? What happened? Is everything okay?”

 

“Umm...she’ll explain. She went straight to her room.”

 

“I’ll be there shortly.”

 

Cullen nodded curtly and turned to descend the stairs. Aravae closed the door and began dressing into more appropriate attire for walking around Skyhold in. Solas asked through his haze of sleep, “What’s wrong?”

 

“I’m not sure. Cullen just said I needed to go see Ena. I’ll be back soon.” She leaned over and kissed him, which he returned after a moment. Clearly, he was far from awake yet.

 

Aravae opened the door, then waited to see if Banal’ras was coming along. He simply gave her the nastiest look and closed his eyes again, not moving from his curled up ball. Aravae shook her head and left her room. She hurried across the battlements, taking the shortest route she could to head towards Ena’s room. Along the way, she saw a few others that had gone with Ena, all bearing grim expressions. A feeling of dread formed in her stomach. Had something happened to Blackwall?

 

She knocked on Ena’s door before entering, but didn’t wait for a response. She went through and climbed the steps two at a time. Glancing around, she saw that Ena was sitting cross legged on the edge of her bed, Bull at her side, rubbing her back in small circles. He turned his head when he heard Aravae approach. He leaned over Ena, giving her a gentle kiss on the top of her head, whispered something, then stood. “I’ll let you two talk,” he grunted, passing by Aravae without another word, exiting the room.

 

Aravae walked over to the bed and took Bull’s spot, but she waited for the door to close before she spoke. “Ena, are you okay? What happened?”

 

She could tell Ena had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and red. Right now, she just looked exhausted, hunched over with her elbows on her knees and gazing blankly towards the floor. The only indication Aravae had that she’d heard her was that her lips moved, opening and closing, as if trying to decide what to say. “...Blackwall...isn’t...who he said he is.”

 

“...What do you mean?”

 

“His name isn’t even Blackwall,” Ena whispered hoarsely. “It’s Rainier. Thom Rainier.”

 

Aravae processed this. “Isn’t...that the name on that paper he left?”

 

“Yes. He…” She took a shuddering breath and cleared her throat. “He was a captain in Orlais’ army. He got an order to assassinate someone, but he didn’t tell his men. They thought they were...doing just some important mission, but they went and slaughtered innocents. After it was done, he...ran. He was found by the real Grey Warden Blackwall and was meant to join the Wardens. Apparently, Blackwall protected...Thom from a blow and died. So then...he assumed Blackwall’s identity.”

 

Aravae held her breath, taking this in. She tried to put pieces together in her head. So Blackwall...or Rainier, had done a horrible thing, then ran from it. He was found by the Warden, but wasn’t able to join because Blackwall was killed? So if Rainier was living an entire lie, why did he suddenly reveal himself? Surely others under his command had been caught and likely executed, just as the man mentioned in the paper was going to be. She had always thought him honorable and a hard working man. He even made wooden sculptures for the children living in Skyhold. He helped Cullen drill the recruits. He fought at her side and protected each and every one of them. He did not seem like a murderer. “Where is he now?” she asked softly.

 

“Down in the dungeons. I had him released so that I could judge him, but… Creators, Aravae, what am I going to do?”

 

“I’m...not sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! We're getting so much closer to the Arbor Wilds and the Temple of Mythal now...just after we see what Ena does about Blackwall/Rainier!
> 
> Thank you so much to you all for reading. Thank you for the kudos and especially the comments. They give me such inspiration to continue writing and they mean the world to me.
> 
> I will see you all soon!


	40. Chapter 40

The sight of Blackwall in cuffs was enough to send the entire great hall into a ruckus of loud whispers. The man had his head hanging, staring at his feet as he walked. He already looked defeated and like he’d been sentenced to hang at the gallows. Aravae stood off to the side, beside Josephine, who looked incredibly somber about the entire thing, but she was keeping her head held high and her tone professional as she announced what was occurring and what the charges were against him. Ena sat on the small throne, her back tall, shoulders square, but turmoil in her eyes.

 

Aravae kept her eyes mostly on Blackwall. Scattered throughout the rest of the great hall, or up above it, she could see the watchful eyes of the other members of the inner circle, each containing a different emotion. Betrayal, concern, disgust, anticipation. It was now eerily quiet in the hall, all voices shushing once Josephine began speaking, her tone clear. Ena didn’t look anywhere but at Blackwall.

 

He said few words, but all but admitted that he was throwing himself upon her sword - whether it be a metaphorical sword of justice or a real one that would free his head from his shoulders, he left completely open to interpretation. Aravae immediately banished the thought of Ena waving the Inquisitor’s sword above her head and bringing down upon Blackwall’s neck. She didn’t care for that image at all.

 

She knew Ena. She knew that she wouldn’t kill him. She knew that her friend had been thinking long and hard about what she was going to do. She very likely lost sleep over it. Not that anyone else would be able to tell from her posture and expression. Were the circumstances much, much different, Josephine would probably even praise Ena for her stoicness. 

 

When the silence fell, the last of Blackwall’s words bouncing off the walls, all eyes in the room focused on Ena, Aravae’s included. It was a heavy burden on her shoulders, not one that Aravae envied. Tension set over Ena as she leaned forward in her seat, her golden eyes grim and hardened. She opened her mouth and delivered her verdict.

 

Blackwall was to give up his name and go back to his real one, Thom Rainier. After that, he would join the Grey Wardens, as he should have originally.

 

The whispers began again in the hall, some content, some angered. Blackwall - Rainier himself looked a bit appalled at her decision, but he bowed his head and accepted his fate without verbally disagreeing with her. Ena stood and looked out over the room, her jaw clenched tightly. “That is all.”

 

She then took long strides to the door leading to her room. When she disappeared, Rainier was uncuffed and the crowd began dispersing after shooting him dirty looks. Aravae remained where she was, as did the other members of the inner circle, still individuals amidst the flow of people returning to their duties about Skyhold. The war council members also remained, though not for as long. Josephine kept her expression stone-like, but unspilled tears were shimmering in her eyes. With a strangled clearing of her throat, she brushed by and went to her office. Rainier spun on heel, as if he wanted to stop her, but his actions died halfway through. One by one, the others began to leave, returning to their respectful locations, save for Bull, who headed to Ena’s room. Solas hovered by the rotunda door while Aravae slowly approached. As she came to stand shoulder to shoulder beside Rainier, she inquired softly, “Do you regret what you did?”

 

“Not a day goes by that I don’t,” he replied, his voice choked.

 

She nodded and continued on, joining Solas in the rotunda. 

 

All of Skyhold seemed quiet and dreary for the remainder of the day. The staff worked in hushed whispers. The inner circle members all kept to themselves as they prepared for the journey to the Arbor Wilds that would be coming up very soon. Aravae kept Solas company in the rotunda as he painted his frescos. Banal’ras was somewhere past the walls, out hunting in the wild. She knew he would return before nightfall.

 

Her mind was in other places, anyways. She was thinking of Rainier and what it was he had done. It was...unfortunate and not unlike the games the Evanuris used to play, setting up their followers - or slaves - for ambushing others, even those who were completely innocent. However, it was all his personal choice to run and abandon his men to take the fall. He had made an attempt to find some slight redemption by joining the Grey Wardens, but even that had fallen into chaos and developed into more lies. Lies that had apparently eaten away at him enough to get him to see the light.

 

_ At least he had made an attempt,  _ she thought wearily, her hands mindlessly rubbing Solas’s amulet as it hung around her neck. In so doing, she glanced down at it and caught a glimpse of the scars on her arm from her close encounter with the bear. She abandoned the amulet and lightly traced her fingers over the edging of the jagged scars. She brought her right hand up and touched her cheek, feeling the slight rise where the vertical scar was there.

 

So many things had changed. She had come so far and had so much happen to her. What would Rienmar say if he was here? Well...things would likely be incredibly different if he had survived. She may have been very different, herself. She may have ended up bitter and full of hatred, following Solas into his original plan to just rip the Veil down without a second thought, whether it made the world burn with magic or not. With a faint wistful smile, she could only think that if her beautiful daughter had survived, she would not have allowed that to happen. Even as a child, she could feel what a gentle soul Estelar was.

 

She pulled her eyes back up to gaze at Solas’s back as he painted, which helped to ground her and pull her out of her memories. She would always love and remember her husband and daughter, but she still did have a future. It was not one she would have ever thought of, but it was still hers now. She loved Solas, truly, and could see herself spending her life with him.

 

Before her mind fully processed it, she stood and walked over to him, bare feet making no noise on the floor. Being mindful of his paints and brush, she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and pressed her face into his back. She felt him go still, though he didn’t tense. He lowered his arms slightly, careful not to get any paint on them, and tilted his head to try and look at her.  _ “What is it, Aravae?” _ he asked softly in elvhen.

 

She shook her head slightly. She wasn’t certain what overcame her. She did not care for displaying any sort of affections when they weren’t behind closed doors, but for the moment, she didn’t care if Dorian, the librarians, or even if Leliana herself was looking down from the top of the tower. She just needed...something. To feel the warmth of him against her. It comforted her in her momentary sadness, thinking of her lost loved ones and in her spiraling thoughts of what had just occurred.  _ “I’m sorry,” _ she mumbled into his back,  _ “I just need a moment.” _

 

_ “I would love to turn and hug you, but I am afraid I have paint on my arms.” _

 

Aravae giggled softly and loosened her grip on him, allowing him to turn around. As he’d said, he had fresh splatters of paint on his forearms. Since he couldn’t hug her, he settled for leaning over and lightly pressing his lips to her forehead, lingering there for a moment. For reasons she couldn’t understand, she felt hot tears spring to her eyes as she tucked her chin in and leaned against him.

 

* * *

 

The beginning of the journey to the Arbor Wilds was filled with tension. There had been the silent, hovering question on whether or not Rainier would be accompanying them. Aravae assumed Ena had spoken with him, because he was there saddling his horse in silence alongside them. There was also the added company of Morrigan and Cullen, both of which would be accompanying the inner circle and meeting up with the troops once they reached the camps. Banal’ras remained out of the stables, which Aravae was glad he finally learned. While Ghilana had no trouble with him, the horses and other animals tended to not tolerate him as much. He’d been stepped on once or twice and thankfully, only hissed and ran from the barn, rather than reacting violently. Aravae found herself thinking of him more of an overgrown housecat than a panther.

 

When they rode out of the gates, it was incredibly quiet for the journey down through the mountains, save for the crunching of snow beneath the hooves of the horses and harts. Aravae rode along behind Ena, Bull, and Cullen, but she could feel the harsh atmosphere of some of the others, directing it towards Rainier. He was riding in the middle of their formation - right where he could easily be seen. There wasn’t even any discussion until Bull spoke up to Solas, asking if he wanted to play a game of chess. There was a long moment of silence as Solas glanced to Aravae, his eyes momentarily reflecting anger - still holding onto his rage towards Bull after what he had done to Aravae -, but he agreed. The only one who really paid attention to the mental game was Cullen, who would occasionally make hums of either approval or disapproval, depending on the moves.

 

When they reached the bottom of the Frostbacks that evening, they all split up and began caring for their mounts and setting up camp. Cassandra and Sera were on duty to make dinner, so while everyone else waited, some either grabbed firewood or sat in their tents.

 

Once Sera called that the food was ready, everyone gathered around. It was then that Ena spoke up, her voice soft, yet full of pain. “Does anyone else have something to tell me?”

 

The silence following was tense, but no one said anything.

 

“I don’t care what it is,” she continued. “I just want it out in the open. No more secrets, no more creeping behind each other’s backs. We’re more than just people fighting together by this point. We’re a family. Sure, few of us have actually had decent families to speak of, but we’re all in this together. We can’t continue on like this.”

 

Eyes glanced around each other while Aravae felt the guilt of her statements weigh down on her. She had lied to her for years in order to protect her identity. Solas had lied to her to protect his identity. Blackwall - or rather, Rainier - had lied about his own. Yet Ena kept going in her own strides. She took the information she’d been given and found ways to deal with it, to look at the bright side in everything. She could tell that Rainier had been the last straw. Aravae had sat with her in her room as she looked so broken and defeated, unable to find barely a silver lining in everything.

 

Aravae was still partially responsible for all of that building up and she couldn’t stand it. She had at least now been as open with her as she could. There was now nothing that she hadn’t shared with her that was of importance. If she were to ask, Aravae would tell her. 

 

It seemed like no one was going to speak up. Ena looked around at all of them, slowly coming to terms with perhaps that there were no longer any large secrets being withheld. Just as she looked like she was about to say something, Sera’s voice broke through, quiet, but unashamed. “I put those lizards in Solas’s bedroll.”

 

In almost an instant, much of the tension diffused as there were suppressed snorts and chuckles. Solas gave Sera an unimpressed look and droned, “Right. I’m not sure there was ever another suspect, Sera.”

 

“I was gonna deny it till the day I died, but,” she shrugged, “this seemed like a good confession time.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

Ena gave a small, tired smile. “Well, then, I’m glad. We’ve all fought side by side and shed blood for each other. I want us to continue to be able to do so without having fear that someone isn’t going to do their part. I know we don’t all always agree on certain things, but it doesn’t mean that one of us wants someone else to come to harm.”

 

There were nods of agreement. The heavy air melted away while they all returned to dinner. Aravae and Ena made quick eye contact and gave their own small nods to each other. Aravae couldn’t help but feel proud of Ena, seeing how far she’d come. In the beginning of this entire ordeal, months and months ago, she was a bit shy and reserved, wanting Aravae’s advice on everything. Now she was giving statements, judging people, and handling situations all across Thedas. It was a lot to throw on a person, but she was still here, still standing, and still moving forward.

 

A part of her felt that she shouldn’t be able to feel proud of Ena, what with the guilt still wearing her down.

 

The remainder of their journey to the Arbor Wilds wasn’t necessarily easier, what with running into bandits and scattered groups of red Templars, but it didn’t feel like there was a dark cloud hanging over them any longer. There were definitely still disapproving looks given in Rainier’s direction, but he said nothing. He saw them and accepted them. He did not force any of his interactions upon them, but when they got into battle, they were all still able to flow together well. Aravae noticed from her position in the back with the other mages that Cassandra had given him a grateful look when he’d blocked a red Templar from sneaking up on her side. It would just take time, as everything else had. Aravae and Solas had been given quite a cold shoulder after their true identities were revealed, but the others had come around. For the most part, at least.

 

When they’d reached the first outpost, Cullen and Ena were immediately swarmed with reports from scouts and briefings written from further in. Apparently the battle with the large force belonging to Corypheus had already begun not long ago. Cullen seemed a little unsettled. He quickly told Ena that he would hear the rest of the reports, but then go ahead to the frontlines to help lead the troops. She agreed, promising him they wouldn’t be long behind him.

 

The inner circle took the time to rest and prepare for what was about to come. In the back of Aravae’s mind, she wished to go with Cullen, just so that she could be informed about the flow of the battle and help him make decisions, but she knew where she was needed. The two of them had talked much about what was to come. Cullen had many plans of his own, on top of hers. He would lead the soldiers well. Aravae needed to be at Ena’s side, leading her through the temple.

 

Aravae and Solas had found a quiet spot on the edge of the outpost to sit and meditate, to quiet their minds and prepare their bodies for the onslaught of magic that was soon to come. Banal’ras clung to the trees, not wanting to get too close to all of the people that were in the outpost. Though they were not disturbed, she felt the auras of Dorian and Vivienne approach and join them. It was slightly longer than Aravae thought they would have to themselves, perhaps upwards of two hours or so. Cole appeared near them, setting down plates of food before vanishing again. Aravae sent a thanks in her mind, then called the food to the others’ attention.

 

They had well enough time to eat and meditate just a little more before Bull approached them. He cleared his throat politely before announcing, “It’s time to go.”

 

They stood and stretched, grabbing their staves. The mages followed after Bull to their mounts. There was only about an hour’s ride separating the outpost from the camp that was on the edge of the battle. Aravae rubbed Ghilana’s neck, murmuring soft words to her. It had been a long several days’ ride for both of them. 

 

With the Inquisitor at the front, the inner circle followed her out, silent and focused.

 

When Aravae saw plumes of smoke rising from spots throughout the forest, she immediately felt a little panicked. Her first thought was that Corypheus was just going to burn the forest down to get to the temple, but it was too few and far between for it to be a blaze. Perhaps it was the work of Leliana. Her agents were to go in quick and silently to set what red Templar camps they could find ablaze. 

 

Their arrival was anticipated - soldiers and scouts ran up when they saw the Inquisitor approaching, ready to take the reins of the mounts. Aravae dismounted Ghilana and gave her a small peck on her nose. The hart looked displeased at being left behind, but Aravae could tell she needed rest. The poor thing had been working so hard to carry her for days on end. This time, as they walked into camp, Banal’ras clung to her side.

 

A soldier ran up and bowed to Ena. “Inquisitor.”

 

Ena gave a bob of her head and kept walking, the woman falling in line beside her. “How goes the battle, Captain?” 

 

There was a harsh sigh from the Captain. “We’re holding, barely. The red Templars are fighting harder than ever with their master nearby. Our scouts saw Corypheus traveling toward and elven ruin in the north. We can clear you a path through his armies. The Commander left instruction.”

 

Ena glimpsed towards Aravae. Her hunch had been right, after all. “Very well. Thank you, Captain. Take care.”

 

The Captain broke into a salute, determination on her face. “Thank you, Your Worship! We shall not flinch. Not a one of us. Andraste guide you, Inquisitor.”

 

Once she walked off in a rush to carry out orders, Morrigan approached Ena’s side with a thoughtful hum. “I wonder… Is it Andraste your soldiers invoke during battle, or does a more immediate name come to their lips?”

 

Ena gave her a tight-lipped smile, tired of having conversations such as this particular one. “Another way to let people down if I falter. Thank you for the reminder.”

 

“‘Twas not I who raised an army of faithful to storm this land, Inquisitor...but I digress.” She tilted her head in thought for a moment, then turned to face Ena completely. “If your scouts report accurately, I believe these ruins to be the Temple of Mythal.”

 

“Then the eluvian you mentioned before must be somewhere inside it.”

 

“Corre-” A series of loud explosions resounded not far from the camp, cutting Morrigan off and causing all heads to turn towards it. “Let us hope we reach this temple  _ before _ the entire forest is reduced to ash.”

 

Her tone sounded as angry and urgent as Aravae felt.

 

They left the forward camp and headed deeper into the forest. The first portion of their walk was relatively calm, though no one felt that way. “There is something about this place that feels...odd,” Vivienne reported. “I’ve not felt magic like this.”

 

“Ah, you can feel it crackling?” Morrigan sounded impressed. “Something more powerful than the red Templars stirs.”

 

Aravae and Solas knew all too well it was the magic of the temple and possibly Solas’s orb. Corypheus likely kept it on his person at all times and if he was nearby, even the most amateur of mages would be able to feel the pulsing of its magic. 

 

They passed through another small makeshift camp, lined with cots and injured that were cradling their wounds and groaning in pain. Ena clenched her jaw and they hurried through. It was only just up ahead a short distance that they could hear the fighting. As they walked down a hill through the luscious forest and turned along the path, they could see them - both Inquisition and Orlesian soldiers alike swinging swords and fighting off red Templars. Ena drew her daggers and quickened her pace. The other warriors and Cole also readied their melee weapons, rushing in right behind her. The mages and the archers pulled out their weapons, readying spells and nocking arrows. Banal’ras flashed his teeth, but Aravae shushed him. She didn’t want him rushing up ahead and getting in the battle. Whether by friend or foe, without some armor on him, he would be killed quickly. 

 

“Hail the Inquisitor!” a soldier shouted as he downed a Templar, waving his bloodied sword in the air.

 

An Orlesian archer also raised a fist into the air. “Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Celene, stands with you!”

 

Other encouraging shouts of glory sounded around them as they joined the fray. The inner circle split, dashing to help what soldiers they could see that needed help. There were already bodies of the corrupted Templars strewn about the ground, but the soldiers were weary, fighting so many enemies. Even if they needed to hurry on to the temple, they couldn’t just rush through these remaining forces without expecting someone to get injured.

 

The moment Varric shot down the last Templar in immediate sight, an Orlesian called, “The beasts are flanking to the east! We will hold!”

 

Ena thanked them, wished them luck, and pressed on. 

 

Up ahead, they came to what used to be a lovely stone bridge, overlooking a grand waterfall that came crashing down. However, just as much of the other elvhen ruins had been, it was just that - a ruin now. Stones had broken apart and fallen into the water below. Bodies of Inquisition and Orlesian soldiers alike littered the area, along with many red Templars. Unfortunately, there were more red Templars scattered about, looking as though they had taken control of the area and were patrolling, looking to defend it. Aravae grit her teeth at the loss of life, then noticed Ena was looking to her.

 

They needed a quick way through.

 

Rainier charged up along the first part of the bridge that was standing, where there was a single Templar standing. The section was broken off from the rest of the bridge, so he had no immediate reinforcements. Once he struck it down, Aravae and Solas took up a position atop it, knowing their magic had the furthest range than the others. The remaining company spread out down in the water, fighting many of the others head-on. The other mages provided support and barriers while Aravae and Solas used their magic offensively to help speed things up.

 

Once the first wave went down, the elvhen joined the others down in the water, but repeated their strategy. There was another section of the bridge further up that was still standing, but had more forces. Bull and Rainier ran up through it together, plowing through the Templars like beasts.

 

It took longer than Aravae would have liked, but they managed to down the Templars without anything worse than some cuts and scrapes. With only taking a moment to catch their breath, they pressed on, following the path. There was a small break between their location and the next area of battle, which was taking place along the banks of and within the river, which was running red with streaks of blood. They rushed through that area with brute force and speed, feeling like Corypheus could be walking the halls of the temple while they were stuck fighting through his forces.

 

They then came to an entire camp, complete with archers up on the walls surrounding it. While they took a moment to consider and plan their course of action, arrows rained down from the trees upon the Templars. While they were injured or stunned, there were flashes of golden armor, slashes of weapons, and then the golden ones vanished. Aravae couldn’t hide the smile of relief on her face, so she was thankful that Morrigan’s back was to her at the moment. “Elves! But where did they come from?!” Cassandra called.

 

“It seems the Temple of Mythal is not deserted after all,” Solas replied sagely.

 

The inner circle had mostly been filled in on what Aravae and Solas had discovered in the temple when they used Morrigan’s eluvian to sneak in, but all had agreed to keep the information quiet from Morrigan. The group agreed unanimously that she was not trustworthy yet. Keeping their identities secret from anyone who didn’t directly need to know was the smartest option for them.

 

“Perhaps these creatures are the reason few return from the Arbor Wilds,” Morrigan commented thoughtfully, though her use of the word ‘creatures’ got under Aravae’s skin. 

 

The further they went, the more battles they had to push through. A few wounds needed to be healed, the mages had to sip on lyrium potions, and a few quick breaks needed to be taken. They eventually met up with Cullen, ramming into a demon with his shield and stabbing it with his sword in the next moment. A Fade rift had opened, apparently.  _ How incredibly convenient _ , Aravae thought dryly.

 

They helped him and his few remaining soldiers at his side fend off the demons long enough for Ena to seal it shut with a grimace and a shake of her mark-bearing hand. Before she had even sheathed her daggers, Cullen gestured with his sword towards the path. “Press on, Inquisitor. We will not yield. We will hold for you. The way is clear.”

 

“Thank you, Cullen.”

 

“Of course. Stay safe.”

 

As he’d promised, their way was clear. They climbed a set of stairs leading to a long hallway with an intricate archway. It had once been spotless and bright with light. Now, it was dark and overrun by plants...just as everything else had been.

 

“This must be it,” Ena breathed in awe, looking up at the height of the arches as they passed through.

 

“Be ready,” Dorian called out. “Corypheus will be here.”

 

“...I hear fighting ahead,” Morrigan announced as they drew closer to the end, where light was flooding in from outside. Indeed, clashes of swords and battle cries grew louder with each step. They hurried their pace, only to come clambering to a stop as they saw remaining arrows fly into the bodies of red Templars, which fell lifeless to the ground. Ena cautiously approached, Morrigan eagerly at her side.

 

When they peered over the edge, which led to more stairs and then to a grand bridge which led to the center of the temple, there were sentinels blocking the way, bows and arrows aimed at red Templars and none other than Corypheus himself.

 

“Na melana sur, banallen!” shouted one of the sentinels, his face adorned with Mythal’s elaborate branches on his face.

 

“They still think to fight us, Master,” chuckled the lone man who was not a red Templar. If he was at Corypheus’s side, then that could only be Samson that Cullen had spoken of. 

 

Corypheus gave a scoff and tossed a sentinel with a broken neck towards the others, who flinched, but continued holding their ground. The giant of a creature stalked towards them. “These are but remnants. They will not keep us from the Well of Sorrows.”

 

“The Well of Sorrows…?” Morrigan repeated as they crouched down, watching the scene unfold before them without having been spotted yet.

 

A chill ran up Aravae’s spine. They had been right. He wasn’t after an eluvian, like Morrigan thought. He wanted the knowledge contained within the Vir’abelasan.

 

The sentinels backed up onto the bridge, where the statues on either side began to light up, charging up a spell. Aravae recognized that defense. It contained a powerful spell that would smite Corypheus to pieces where he stood. He hesitated, glancing up at them, but apparently decided it wasn’t worth wasting energy over. He continued his advance, raising a hand. “Be honored! Witness death at the hands of a new god!”

 

As he stepped onto the bridge, the spell activated. Beams of light fired towards him, connecting with his body. He seemed to struggle to press on, trying to close the remaining distance between him and the sentinels. In a fit of confusion and terror - likely at the fact that he was able to continue moving - Corypheus managed to grab the lead sentinel by his face and lift him from the ground, just in time for a massive explosion to go off. Everyone ducked down, but felt no effects other than a rush of wind. When they stood up, convinced it was over, they spotted Samson running across the bridge and into the temple, stepping over the dead bodies of sentinels and Templars alike.

 

The group cautiously made their way down the steps. Varric shuddered, “That was not pretty.”

 

“Indeed not, but ‘twas incredibly effective.” Morrigan glanced down at the bodies that had been thrown back and killed from the explosion of magic. 

 

“Did it...get ‘im?” Sera asked hesitantly, scrunching her nose up.

 

As if in response to her question, a horrible squelching sound reached their ears, causing everyone to jump. The source was coming from a Grey Warden body, which had been glanced at and decidedly dead. Now, it was twitching and twisting grotesquely and when his head snapped back, his mouth opened in a monstrous roar. Black blood flew from his mouth and the body hunched over, continuing to spasm. His eyes began to glow. At the same time Bull shouted a dark explicit, Morrigan gasped, “It cannot be!”

 

A dark cloud swirled around the body and a long arm reached out, what looked to be like Corypheus’s. Ena jumped back and snapped, “Across the bridge! Now!”

 

No one needed to be told twice. Everyone spun around and sprinted, dashing across the bridge as quick as possible, trying to put as much distance between them and Corypheus as possible. When the roar of a dragon resounded above them, no one stopped to look, save Morrigan, who quickly glimpsed up as she ran. It was undoubtedly Corypheus’s dragon that had been at Haven, and it was flying towards them without question in an attempt to slaughter them all on the bridge, where they had no hope of dodging.

 

As Aravae looked up and saw the first of the group pass into the temple, she shouted, “Get ready to close the doors!”

 

Without question, they split up to either side of the ajar doors and began to push. Banal’ras leapt inside just ahead of Aravae and Solas, who were bringing up the rear. The doors slid shut just behind them as a wall of flame attempted to breach it. Unfortunately for the dragon, the doors slid shut with a magical seal, preventing anything from getting through. It wasn’t possible to be opened with force, not even by Corypheus. If he was getting into the temple, he would now need to find another way around.

 

“Remarkable,” Morrigan whispered breathlessly, touching a hand to the door, which now appeared to have no seam. She looked towards Aravae and asked a question which held a suspicious tone. “Did you know it would do that?”

 

“You are not the only one to have extensively studied elvhen ruins, lady witch,” she replied curtly, turning to face the interior of the temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> First off: I am so incredibly sorry that it took me almost two months to get this chapter written and up. Horrible personal things went down in my life and I needed to tend to those first and foremost, which required me to have to step away from writing for a time. Things have finally calmed down, but I had trouble getting back into the flow. However, thanks to all of you and your beautiful words and your encouragement, I have finally worked my way back into my groove. I cannot promise I will be as quick as I was before, but I will definitely do much, much better than two months in-between updates. I'm hoping if I can't hit my weekly goal, I'll at least be able to do bi-weekly. Thank you all so much for your patience and support. It means more than you know.
> 
> And secondly: I hope the chapter wasn't too clunky. I am still trying to fit into my clique again, but it may take me just a touch longer. I'm working on prompts given to me on Tumblr to try and help. Hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later.
> 
> Again, thank you all so, so much. I hope to see you all soon!


	41. Chapter 41

Morrigan was quiet and did not raise a fuss at Aravae’s less than vague reply to her question earlier about the doors sealing shut with magic. The group caught their breath, then heading further in. Corypheus was at their back and Samson was ahead. They didn’t have long. The Witch of the Wilds admitted to Ena that she was uncertain as to what the Well of Sorrows was, deeming that Corypheus was not after an eluvian after all, as she originally believed. With a silent exchange while Morrigan wasn’t looking, Ena could tell on Aravae’s face that  _ she _ knew.

 

“Let’s find this well before Corypheus’s people do,” Ena urged.

 

“So are we just not gonna mention how, uhh, Corypheus just came back to life? He was clearly  _ dead _ ,” Bull grumbled darkly.

 

“Strong magic, death, decaying, but only the body, not the mind. The mind reaches out, searching for the void and the darkness, the darkspawn, the blight, and it takes control.” Cole, who had been relatively quiet throughout their entire ordeal so far, made a concerned, unhappy expression. “I don’t like it.”

 

“It’s as he says,” Solas agreed. “Apparently Corypheus may be able to possess anything with the blight, living or dead.”

 

“So, how many times do we need to kill him?” Sera inquired hastily. “It’s a small number, right?”

 

“One step at a time,” Ena replied, cutting off any further conversation about it. “We need to finish what we’re doing here, then we’ll be able to figure out how to deal with him. Whatever this well is, we can’t let him get it.”

 

“As you say,” Morrigan agreed.

 

They stepped through the arches and into the inner courtyard, which, just like the rest of the temple, was overgrown with vegetation and trees sprouting from the stone. Aravae attempted not to stare around too much, lest she give something away in her gaze to make Morrigan more suspicious. She couldn’t help herself with her snippy reply to her. She didn’t like how this human woman was walking about looking down her nose at others and talking as if she had more knowledge than anyone present. Little did she know.

 

They spread out a little to investigate and find the correct way forward when Dorian gave a quick, startled shout. Everyone looked at him quickly, seeing what was wrong. He’d stepped on a large square stone with intricate carvings and it had given off a faint glow. Aravae’s brows raised. She shouldn’t be too surprised, considering the sentinels still cared for what was left of the temple. It was only natural that they would keep the defenses and rituals still operational.

 

“It appears the temple’s magicks are still strong.” Morrigan and Ena approached Dorian’s position.

 

Raising up a hand to pull some vines away, Ena tilted her head at the writing that was on two stone pillars just before them. “I recognize this as elvhen, but I can’t fully read it.”

 

Solas, thankfully, wasn’t standing too far away from them and spoke up, “Atish’all vir’abelasan. It translates to ‘enter the path of the well of sorrows.’”

 

Morrigan gave Solas a quick glance over her shoulder, then looked back at the writing. “As he says. There is also something here about knowledge. Respectful or pure. Shiven...shivennen…” She frowned and shook her head. “‘Tis all I can translate. Unless, perhaps your other companions may know more?”

 

Solas hummed, Aravae restraining a prideful smirk. She could tell that he felt the same way about Morrigan as she did. He strode closer to the pillars, Morrigan stepping aside. He knew every word, but for the sake of appearances, he stared at it for longer than necessary. “Essentially, as long as we are respectful and pass the tests before us, the way to the well will open to us.” 

 

“Tests?” Ena glanced towards her feet at the glowing light. Her brows furrowed. “These go all the way around. Do they all…” She stepped away from Solas and Morrigan and onto the next block, which lit up underneath her. “They do.”

 

“Excellent instincts,” Solas praised. “I imagine these stones have something to do with unlocking the way for us.”

 

“Unlocking?” Cassandra glanced towards the next visible door, which was up a flight of stairs from where they were. “Why don’t we just press onward?”

 

“They’re likely sealed with magic, since the doors are closed.” Aravae tucked a strand of hair that had fallen loose from her braid behind her ear. “Much like how the first one sealed shut when we closed it. There must be a way to open it.”

 

Ena pressed on to the next stone, which still lit up. “Maybe if we get all of these to light up, then we can- What happened?” She went back, stepping on the previous one, only for them all to fade away.

 

Solas and Morrigan stepped off of the platform. The Witch suggested, “Perhaps there is only the way forward, no backtracking.”

 

Indeed, once Ena moved again, the stone gleamed once more. She gave a light shrug and continued walking in the same direction, all around the pillars, making sure not to miss one or go back over one she’d already walked on. As she stepped on the last one, there was a surge of magic, which was only felt by the mages. “That certainly did something,” Vivienne reported. “Unlocking the door, I gather.”

 

“Then let us see what awaits,” Morrigan said with a twinkle of excitement in her eyes.

 

As they headed up the stairs, they stepped over freshly slain red Templar bodies. Dorian made a comment that the door that they had been looking for was now glowing with the same gentle blue light, which was likely a good sign. Just as they were beginning to open it, Morrigan made a puzzled sound. Ena looked back towards her, only to see that she was veering off towards an archway. “What is it?” she inquired patiently.

 

“Why would  _ this _ be here?” Morrigan asked aloud, though it seemed almost more like a question to herself.

 

Ena gestured that the rest of the group could stay, but Aravae, Solas, and Banal’ras followed after her. What Morrigan had been distracted by was a statue of a wolf, laying down and looking off to its side with a peaceful expression. “What’s wrong with this?” Ena asked. “I can see that it is of Fen’harel, but…”

 

“You know his tale since you are Dalish, do you not? You know of how they say he sealed the other gods away in the Beyond? Setting Fen’harel in Mythal’s sanctum is as blasphemous as painting Andraste naked in the Chantry.”

 

Solas clenched his hands into fists and set his jaw tight. “For all your ‘knowledge’, Lady Morrigan, you cannot resist giving legend the weight of history. The wise do not mistake one for the other.”

 

Morrigan whirled around to him, her nostrils flaring. “Pray tell, what does our elvhen ‘expert’ sense lurking behind this?”

 

His eye ticked. “Nothing we can discern by merely staring at it.”

 

Morrigan parted her lips to speak again, but Aravae cut her off. “Enough. This isn’t a pressing matter. Unless you’ve forgotten why we’re here?” Morrigan merely narrowed her eyes and exhaled sharply. “Then let’s move on.”

 

They made their way back to the door, which was suddenly open. Sera looked rather uncomfortable and was quick to say, “I only touched it!”

 

The door led to a small hallway that they didn’t linger long in. When they opened the following door, it was met with a loud explosion. Everyone tensed and drew their weapons while the mages cast quick barriers. Nothing came charging at them...yet, at least. They hesitantly stepped through the doorway. Up ahead and on a level higher, was Samson. He turned and sneered. Waving a hand, he shouted, “Hold them off!” then vanished down a hole in the floor - likely what had been caused due to the explosion.

 

From out behind pillars, many red Templars appeared, several armed with bows. The first one to charge out with a raised shield was Rainier. Bull and Cassandra followed suit and Cole vanished, just to appeared directly behind a few of the Templars. Aravae wrapped a more powerful barrier around Ena as she rushed in behind the others. The rest of the mages set to work, weaving their spells. With their precise teamwork, their enemies did not last long at all. Just as Ena drove her dagger through the ribs of the last Templar standing, she gestured to the others. “Come on! We can catch them!”

 

They raced up the stairs and peered down the hole they’d blown into the ground. Just as Bull looked like he was ready to jump, Aravae shouted, “Wait!” He froze and immediately looked at her. “We shouldn’t follow them that way. We need to continue on as we did before and face the tests.”

 

“I must agree,” Morrigan said through slightly gritted teeth. “We cannot reach the well unprepared. We should walk the petitioner’s path.”

 

Ena glanced between the two of them and gave a quick nod of her head. “You’re right. Come on, let’s not wait.”

 

Without a glance backwards towards the hole, they proceeded forward. They entered a larger courtyard, filled with more rituals and gleaming mosaics that still remained on the walls. Ena suggested that they split up and cover more ground in order to complete the rituals in a more timely manner. Morrigan remained close to Ena, so Aravae and Solas went off to one of the furthest rituals that they could. As they stepped onto one of the stones together, Aravae murmured in quiet elvhen,  _ “I don’t trust her intentions.” _

 

_ “Nor do I. I believe she is thinking the well is a source of power and judging by where she came from and how she behaves, having power seems to be a common thought of hers.” _

 

_ “What can we do about the well, though?” _ Aravae sounded pained.  _ “I don’t wish it to be destroyed, but she can’t have it, either.” _

 

_ “Neither of us nor Ena should take it.” _

 

_ “I agree. Even if Mythal is gone with the rest of them, I don’t trust what powers of hers may remain. I had no quarrel with her, but I don’t enjoy the idea of giving any part of myself willing to her. I won’t do that again.” _ Aravae glanced up at one of the mosaics, a chill running up her spine and causing her to halt where she stood.

 

“Aravae?” Solas looked from her to the mosaic and instantly, his hand was on the small of her back, reminding her that he was there. “Are you okay?”

 

It was a depiction of Falon’din, accompanied by a song - one she knew well. Its words still echoed in the back of her mind, something that they sang while preparing the tombs for the dead. Each word bounced off of the tunnels, ringing back in her ears. She stared at the last line with a sense of irony -  _ Lethanavir, master-scryer, be our guide, through shapeless worlds and airless skies. _

 

That was likely what he was experiencing wherever he was, off in the Beyond.

 

She winced and quickly stepped away from the mosaic. “Yes, I’m fine,” she mumbled, tearing her eyes away from the artwork as soon as she could.

 

With everyone split up and working together on the rituals, it didn’t take long at all for the tall doors to begin glowing, signaling that their path forward was clear. Aravae took a breath as Bull pushed on the doors. They were headed into the deepest part of the sanctuary, where Abelas would likely be waiting, unless he was leading the sentinels into battle. Everyone stepped through cautiously, for it was eerily quiet. Dust rose from their footsteps. There were no sounds of battle to be heard. 

 

“‘Tis not what I expected. What was this chamber used for…?” Morrigan’s words bounced off of the walls of the grand room.

 

Aravae could feel their magic long before they made themselves known. Sentinels were behind them, ready and waiting for whatever was about to come. Ena must have felt it too, because she tensed and tilted her head slightly. “We’re being watched,” she whispered.

 

“Venavis.” 

 

There was Abelas, his hood drawn and arms crossed. This would be a tricky situation. Hopefully Abelas would assume they had not shared their true identity with  _ everyone _ in the group and not give them away. Aravae couldn’t come up with a solid reason, but there was something that kept telling her again and again that Morrigan could not be entirely trusted. His golden eyes passed over hers and Solas’s, but his expression betrayed nothing.

 

“You...are unlike the other invaders,” he said with curiosity, eyes locking on Ena, since she was at the head of the group. You stumble down our paths at the side of some of our own. You bear the mark of magic which is...familiar.” As if in response, Ena’s hand crackled with energy. “How has this come to pass? What is your connection to those who first disturbed our slumber?”

 

Ena appeared to have almost glanced behind her to look towards Aravae, but she stopped herself, turning her head into a shaking motion instead. “Slumber? I’m...afraid I don’t understand. Who are you?”

 

He quirked an eyebrow. “I am called Abelas. We are sentinels, tasked with standing against those who trespass on sacred ground. We wake only to fight, to preserve this place. Our numbers diminish with each invasion.” He paused, shifting his tone from sorrow to determination. “I know what you seek. Like all who have come before, you wish to drink from the Vir’abelasan.”

 

Morrigan shifted to look at Ena, speaking in an excited, yet hushed whisper. “‘The place of the way of sorrows.’ He speaks of the well!”

 

Abelas frowned deeply, eyes narrowing at the Witch of the Wilds. “It is not  _ for _ you. It is not for  _ any _ of you.”

 

“May I ask, what  _ is _ the Vir’abelasan?” Ena inquired. “We are not here to steal from you, only to help protect whatever it is our enemy may be after.”

 

Abelas hummed, seeming a little impressed. “It is a path, one walked only by those who toiled in Mythal’s favor.”

 

“He speaks of priests, perhaps…?” Morrigan murmured.

 

“More than that, you need not know. However, I do believe you when you say you are not here to steal from us. Trespassers you are, but you have followed rites of petition. You have shown respect to Mythal. If these others are enemies of yours, we will aid you in destroying them. When this is done, you will be permitted to depart...and  _ never _ return.”

 

“This is our goal, is it not?” Solas leaned forward, gesturing to the sentinels that were behind them. “We have no reason to fight them.”

 

Morrigan turned her back to Abelas, speaking in Ena’s ear, her eyes calculating those around them. “Consider carefully. We must stop Corypheus, yes, but you may also need the well for your own.”

 

A wave of anger rushed through Aravae. She took a threatening step forward, sparks crawling along her body. “You would  _ dare _ to steal-?!”

 

“Aravae.” Ena spun around, holding out a soothing hand, giving her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. Abelas, I accept your offer.”

 

He eyes gave one more cautious glance over Morrigan, but he settled on Ena once more. “You will be guided to those you seek. As for the Vir’abelasan...it shall not be despoiled, even if I must destroy it myself.” He turned on heel, walking down the hallway that was to his back.

 

Aravae saw it too late. Morrigan cried out, “No!!” and stepped forward, magic wrapping around her and turning her into a raven. She flapped furiously after Abelas. 

 

Ena called after Morrigan, but she was already gone. Aravae snarled and for a moment, wished she had thought to study and practice more shapeshifting magic. Though Solas could shapeshift, it would do him no good into getting up onto the next level. There were no immediate steps to take for them to take chase. With the only one in the dark gone, Cassandra looked to Aravae and Solas. “How should we proceed?”

 

Solas’s eyes were dark, every bit as angry as Aravae. He looked to the left, where doors were opening and a slightly hunched woman elvhen was waiting, a walking cane in one hand, a book tucked under the other arm. “We have no choice. We must be guided and follow. We could not be able to accurately find our way through these labyrinth halls. It was neither of our temples, after all.”

 

“Then let’s hurry.” Ena led them over to the woman and gave a polite bow of her head. “Thank you for guiding us.”

 

“Mythal’enaste,” the woman replied. As she turned, she spoke in her native tongue to those who understood.  _ “My, it’s been some time since I’ve seen others that were not of our temple. Especially the young Dread Wolf.” _

 

_ “You have endured much,” _ Solas replied sympathetically.

 

_ “I have endured more than most, though not as much as some,” _ she said sagely.  _ “I know you are in a hurry and I apologize. I will move as quickly as these weary bones will allow.” _

 

_ “We just appreciate your aid,” _ Aravae assured her.

 

They all followed after the old woman, Ena coming to stand by Aravae on her free side, Banal’ras on her other. “What do you think about all of this, Aravae?”

 

“Having Morrigan with us highly complicates things. She wants the well. Whether her intentions are good or not, I’m unsure. However, no matter what, no one can take it.”

 

“Can you tell me what makes it so special?”

 

Aravae pursed her lips. “Imagine having a source, like a library, with the records and wisdom of everyone who has ever come before you. However, this is immensely more reliable. Books can be burned or destroyed. While the well can, it has withstood...millenia. All who served Mythal passed their knowledge onto the well. Imagine now losing that.”

 

“But what can we do? We can’t let Corypheus have it.”

 

“I agree. However...it would not do to have any of us drink from it.”

 

“How come?”

 

Whatever Aravae may have said was cut off as they approached a door. The old woman stopped and spun around.  _ “Be wary. Enemies lurk on the other side. Once through them, the Vir’abelasan is just on the other side. Please...protect it.” _

 

_ “We shall,”  _ Solas swore, then switched back to the Common Tongue. “Be ready. We will need to fight.”

 

Everyone took up positions while their guide turned and headed back the way she came, closing the secret doors she’d led them through. Bull and Rainier pushed the doors open, only to see carnage. So many sentinel bodies littered the ground, which they carefully stepped over. Aravae looked down at their faces, frozen in pain or terror and winced. When was this bloodshed going to end? She felt as though her entire life had been ruled by battle and death.

 

There was a low, raspy voice that cackled and said, “You tough bastards. A day’s march, hours of fighting, and still fierce as dragons. The Chantry never knew what it was throwing away.”

 

“Samson!” Ena breathed, rushing forward with the warriors, her daggers drawn. 

 

The named man slowly turned, his face contorting with irritation and disgust. “Inquisitor,” he spat, “you and those elf things don’t know when to stop. You’ve hunted us half across Thedas. I should’ve guessed you’d follow us into this hole.”

 

“Samson, just stop this.” Ena’s gaze hardened. “We’ve beaten your forces time and again. We will defeat you this time as well.”

 

He scoffed with laughter. “As if I would lay down my arms and surrender to  _ you _ . Corypheus chose me twice. First as his general, now as the vessel for the Well of Sorrows. You know what’s inside the Well? Wisdom. The kind of wisdom that can scour a world.” His lips pulled up into a sneer. He turned and glanced upwards, to where the well was, not far away. “I give it to Corypheus and he can walk into the Fade without your precious Anchor.”

 

Ena took a step forward, gripping her daggers tight. “I’ll see Corypheus  _ dead _ before I let him wield that power.”

 

Samson barked a laugh and looked back at her. “How are  _ you _ going to stop him? You’re no match for Corypheus. Even if you drink from the well, you’ll never master its wisdom as he could.” The large pieces of red lyrium that was sticking out of his armor began to glow, its sickening hum ringing in Aravae’s ears. “ _ This _ is the strength the Chantry tried to bind...but it’s a new world now, with a new god. So, Inquisitor...how will this go?”

 

Ena grinned and passed something quickly to Bull, the two sharing a grin. “Power is all well and good...until it’s taken away.”

 

Aravae glanced at the amulet now in Bull’s hands. It was something Dagna had given to them before they left - a way to ruin Samson’s armor, which was granting him more strength than normal. However, they needed to get it within a certain range for it to work. Vivienne came up beside of Bull and hooked her hand around his arm, as though the two of them were about to just go on a stroll. However, with a quick flash of her magic, she took him forward with a Fade-step, bringing him right up to Samson. The man tried to jump back, but Bull muttered the quick incantation to activate the amulet. Samson’s armor lit up and shook before the lyrium on it shattered. Before his men could react, Vivienne brought them back to safety.

 

Samson fell to his knees, growling with rage, “What did you do…?  _ What _ did you  _ do _ ?! My armor...it’s...it’s gone… The lyrium...I  _ need _ it!” He pushed himself up and swung his arm. “ _ Kill them all! _ ”

 

The mages wrapped their protective barriers around the front line fighters and the battle began, red Templars clashing with the inner circle of the Inquisition. Aravae concentrated as best she could, but her gaze was almost everywhere but on the battle. She kept sweeping the skies, looking out for Corypheus and his dragon. She was looking around the area for any signs of an ambush or of Abelas. It was strange that they had beaten him and Morrigan to the well, but they  _ had _ gone through secret passageways. They likely were held up by other enemy forces that were scattered now throughout the temple. Fortunately, they outnumbered Samson and his current force, so they could hopefully wrap things up and be done with it.

 

They worked like a well-oiled machine. The mages set up walls of fire and ice to box in the Templars, then the warriors would rush in and whittle them down. If they needed to take a step back, the rogues were there to swoop in and finish them off. Though Samson had powerful individuals with him, they were no match for their opponents. Soon enough, it was just Samson fending for himself. Ena shouted, “Surrender!”

 

“Never, wench!” He charged at her, swinging his sword, only for Bull to jump in-between and block his attack. Rainier came at Samson from the side, causing the man to jump back and parry, a snarl on his face.

 

Across the courtyard, Abelas appeared from the foliage, giving a quick glance to the battle before turning towards the well, magical roots forming as stairs, giving him access to climb higher. Aravae looked quickly to Abelas, then back to Ena, who was already locking eyes with her. Sensing the situation, Cassandra called, “Go! We can finish him! Protect the well!”

 

Not needing to be told a second time, a fraction of the inner circle ran up after Abelas, though the majority remained back to ensure Samson wouldn’t slip away. As they began to climb, the cawing of a raven met their ears. Aravae glanced up with irritation, Banal’ras leaping into the air to try and snatch Morrigan by her tail feathers. However, she was too quick and soared over Abelas’s head. She landed just before the well and transformed back, blocking Abelas from reaching it. The servant of Mythal clicked his tongue and took a step away from her before looking over his shoulder and seeing the others standing there.

 

“You heard his parting words, Inquisitor,” Morrigan said breathlessly. “The elf seeks to destroy the Well of Sorrows!”

 

Abelas stepped out from between the two parties, his eyes flashing with anger. “So the sanctum is despoiled at last.”

 

“You would have destroyed the well yourself, given the chance!” Morrigan argued quickly.

 

“To keep it from  _ your _ grasping fingers,” he hissed, pointing directly at her. “Better it be lost than bestowed upon the undeserving!”

 

“Fool! You’d let your people’s legacy rot in the shadows!”

 

“Morrigan,” Ena snapped, coming to stand beside her. She gave a glare to the dark-haired woman, then looked back towards Abelas. “I am not sure what we should do, Abelas. The well could contain knowledge to defeat Corypheus, but I do not want to steal from you.”

 

Morrigan spoke first, albeit more calmly, cutting Abelas off. “The well clearly offers power, Inquisitor. If that power can be turned against Corypheus, can you afford not to use it?

 

Aravae and Solas slowly shifted, trying to move closer to stop Morrigan if needed. Abelas shook his head and looked wistfully at the well. “Do you even know what you ask? As each servant of Mythal reached the end of their years, they would pass their knowledge on...through this. All that we were, all that we knew...it would be lost forever.”

 

_ “Abelas,”  _ Aravae called softly, speaking their shared tongue, _ “we may not partake of the well...but what of you?” _

 

His head snapped up to look at her. _ “Me?” _

 

_ “You are already bound to Mythal, since you and the others yet linger here. If anyone here is most deserving of the well, it would be you, their leader.” _

 

_ “I cannot,”  _ he replied without hesitantly, even taking a step away from the edge of the water.  _ “It is not mine to take.” _

 

Aravae ignored the shifting gaze Morrigan was giving them and continued.  _ “The goal I spoke of, Abelas? I want to achieve that, but we cannot achieve it fully without lowering the Veil. There may also be knowledge within the well we as elvhen could use in order to accomplish that without destroying the world. If we lower the Veil, it may also set the Evanuris free. We do not want them to reign terror upon the people again, so perhaps...there is also knowledge there that may help us give them a permanent prison.” _

 

He kept his eyes level with hers.  _ “Yet what if I am freed to my duty to Mythal, only to continue to be bound by this? Should she will me to release her, I could likely not refuse.” _

 

_ “We have time. We can find a plan around it.” _

 

_ “Say I were to agree...but what of this shemlen woman?”  _ He gestured blatantly to Morrigan, who seemed to be growing more irritated with each passing word.  _ “She will not stand idly by.” _

 

_ “She will have no choice but to,” _ Solas retorted coldly.

 

“Enough,” Morrigan bit out, her gaze accusing. “I knew you two knew more than you let on, but what of this?” She looked to Ena. “They could easily be conspiring against us, to take the well for their own!”

 

“I know for a fact they aren’t  _ conspiring _ .” Ena shook her head. “But I am beginning to think that the only one here who truly wants the well for their own is you, Morrigan.”

 

“I seek to preserve it!”

 

“You are a glutton drooling at the sight of a feast!” Solas snarled rather aggressively. “You cannot be trusted most of all here!”

 

Morrigan growled with frustration. “ _ Inquisitor _ . What is  _ your _ decision?”

 

“Kadan!!” Bull shouted, running up the stairs, Samson unconscious and tossed over his shoulder. “Corypheus is coming! He just broke through the last doors! We gotta move!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! Look! I made it back relatively soon! We need to push on through the Temple of Mythal so that we can get to...other stuff, hehe. Good stuff, I promise. Well...mostly good, some not so good. Whoops.
> 
> I'll keep it short and sweet this time. Thank you all for your support and kind comments! I don't deserve readers as wonderful as you all. <3 I'll see you at the next update!


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: NSFW scene ahead! If you don't wish to read it, I have marked the beginning and ending of the section with ~~~. Enjoy!

Time seemed to slow down as Ena glanced past Bull’s figure and saw the looming giant that is Corypheus. He was stepping closer to the edge of the landing he was on, and his demonic eyes locked onto her before narrowing with rage and hatred. Bull was right. They needed to  _ move _ .

 

Her mind raced incredibly fast as she turned back to the situation at hand with the Vir’abelasan. She felt the gravity of the present pushing down so painfully on her shoulders that she felt as though her knees may buckle. Aravae seemed so against any of them taking from the well. Her reason hadn’t been able to be vocalized and there was no time to ask now. Though she had not been able to understand all of what was said, she could decipher enough to tell that Aravae knew Abelas to some extent. It seemed that she may have suggested that he partake of the well, considering how unsure he looked and how he stepped away from it as though it were poison. Morrigan appeared to be the only one who was sure that she wanted it, but there was a feeling in the pit of Ena’s stomach. 

 

That was her people’s legacy. Their knowledge. Knowledge that she felt wrong handing over to a human, though she was not particularly racist towards them. They just had such a long running record of taking things that didn’t belong to them and not giving them back. She didn’t want this knowledge to be lost or in hands that weren’t elven.

 

Her eyes shifted towards Abelas just as Bull came to a halt beside of her. If he drank, he would have to leave his people here in the temple. He would have to come and help them. Did he want that?

 

Her eyes then widened with a realization. He didn’t have to leave his people. He could  _ bring _ them to Skyhold, if they so chose. They may not care to listen to her since she was just a shemlen in her eyes, but Aravae and Solas would have their respect. Or...Aravae at the least. She wasn’t certain how they all felt towards him being Fen’harel. She assumed they had to know that.

 

Aravae must have seen the look in her eyes, because she turned back to Abelas and shouted a few dire things at him. Ena watched as he clenched his jaw and gave a quick shake of his head before dashing forward. Morrigan couldn’t even finishing crying out, “No-!” before he dipped into the water and raised water to his lips to take a drink. There was a swirl of magic and mist before it pulsed outward with a low  _ boom _ . Ena flinched and covered her eyes, but she felt no harm come to her. When she looked back, Abelas was panting heavily on his knees in a small puddle, murmuring in soft elvhen, his body glowing.

 

“Zinnia,” Varric moaned with urgency. She looked back towards him and saw that Corypheus himself had taken flight, a dark, wispy cloud around his legs and feet.

 

By time she turned back, Aravae and Solas were helping Abelas to his feet. He gestured with a hand and the eluvian sprang to life. He spoke softly, but Ena couldn’t hear him. Solas quickly translated, “Through the eluvian! We need to leave!”

 

Even Morrigan wasn’t going to dispute that. They all quickly dashed towards the eluvian. There were hesitant steps from those in the front of the group that hadn’t used one before, holding out their hands in front of them to make sure they weren’t going to crash into glass. Ena waited until the others had gone through, Aravae and Solas halfway dragging Abelas through just ahead of her. She glanced back one more time and saw the remaining waters of the Vir’abelasan swirling around, then rising up as Corypheus drew closer. In the center of a swirling vortex, she saw the outline of a figure wielding a sword facing the darkspawn magister. Though she had so many questions about what that was - a spirit, perhaps? - she didn’t wait to find out. She darted through the mirror to come to see those on the other side in the Crossroads. Abelas raised a shaky hand and closed the portal, though not before the water - or spirit - came rushing through and disappearing into his body. The moment the eluvian closed, it went completely dark, not even reflecting the panting faces of those looking into it.

 

“The way...is shut. Corypheus destroyed the eluvian,” Morrigan mumbled.

 

“Where in Andraste’s name are we?” Rainier inquired, looking around at all the eluvians.

 

“A question better answered in the safety of Skyhold. This way.” Morrigan led them to the one that would take them to the storage room within the fortress.

 

“What of the soldiers? And the council?” Cassandra pointed out, following along after the witch.

 

“Let’s go see Charter - Leliana left her in charge and we can send ravens,” Ena replied after taking a moment to catch her breath. “Abelas, are you okay?”

 

“I will be fine,” he murmured, his voice slightly pained.

 

“We can take him directly up the stairs to my tower. All of Skyhold will be in an uproar soon, seeing us all appear out of nowhere,” Aravae pointed out. “Let’s get the situation under control before proceeding with explanations.”

 

Morrigan made a soft huffing noise through her nose, then opened the eluvian to the fortress. As Aravae predicted, the moment they stepped through the door into the garden, there was a collective gasp of startlement, followed by a barrage of questions. Ena watched as the crowd parted around Aravae as Banal’ras walked ahead of them, scaring people out of their way so they could make it to her tower to let him rest. Ena quickly assured people with a forced smile that things were fine and under control, but she had urgent business to attend to and she needed to get through. Though questions were still being fired at her, people dared not block the way for the Herald of Andraste. Bull squeezed her shoulder from behind and whispered to her, “I’ll take Samson to the prison.”

 

She nodded gratefully and the two parted ways. Vivienne and Cassandra stuck with her as she climbed the stairs of the atrium, calling for Charter. The elven woman appeared, her eyes wide with confusion and her lips parted. “It’s a long story,” Ena said apologetically, cutting her off. “We need to send ravens, now.”

 

Charter nodded and fetched parchment and quill for Ena to write with. Vivienne and Cassandra assisted her, all writing the same general message - they were all safe, they were now all in Skyhold via an elven artifact that brought them there instantly, they had Samson in custody, and they prevented Corypheus from achieving his goal. They rolled up their small parchments and handed them to Charter, who attached them to the small canisters on the ravens, then sent them off. She turned back to Ena and inquired, “Is there anything else I can do for you, Inquisitor?”

 

“Please have hot baths drawn for the inner circle. We all need some time to...unwind and wrap our minds around what just happened.”

 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Vivienne nodded in approval.

 

“As you wish, Inquisitor. It will be done.” Charter gave her a salute and waved a few lower ranking agents over.

 

Ena looked to the two human women by her side and gave them grateful smiles. “Thank you both. For everything.”

 

“There is nothing to thank,” Cassandra insisted. “We’re here to support you. I’m just glad no one was injured too badly.”

 

“I do wonder how our troops are faring, though…,” Vivienne added softly. “However, the Commander seemed to have things well under control. Assuming Corypheus was unable to accomplish anything, he will likely retreat, resulting in no more casualties.”

 

“I hope that you’re right.” Ena’s tone dropped for a moment. “But for now, let’s all take a little bit of time before...everything else.”

 

“I believe you’re right,” agreed Cassandra.

 

With that, the women split and went off towards their rooms. Ena sighed softly as she entered her room and closed the door by pressing her back against it. Her shoulders sagged and she was tempted to sink to the floor right there, but she forced herself up the last flight of stairs. She made it over to her desk in the corner before collapsing in the chair, her eyes glazing over the stack of paper that had accumulated while she was gone. She didn’t want to deal with it right at the moment, so she settled for leaning back in the chair, propping her head against the bookshelf, and closing her eyes for a moment.

 

She had just been beginning to doze when a knock came at her door. She bid whoever it was to come in, happy to see it was the staff bringing up the tub and hot water. They set it in its usual place and filled it to the top. Ena thanked them as they left her with an assortment of oils and perfumes she could use for her hair and skin. She looked at the steaming water and once the door closed, she stood up. Before diving straight in, she pulled the chair over close to the tub and went into one of the small closets, where she had her own selective drinks. She poured herself a glass, made her way back to the tub, set the glass down on the chair, and began to unbuckle out of her armor. Her weary and shaking limbs made it a little tricky, but soon enough, she was bare and slipped into the water, sighing happily at the heat of it already working on soothing her exhausted muscles. 

 

She reached over and took a few sips out of her glass before setting it back down. She reached up and tugged her hair free, rubbing at her sore scalp from how long she’d had her hair tied up. Dipping her head back into the water, she ran her fingers through her hair, making sure to get it thoroughly soaked. She glanced at the oils and pursed her lips. She wasn’t ready to start rubbing down with all of those. She just wanted to...sit and soak for a while.

 

Two heavy, thudding knocks came at her door and she knew immediately who it was. “Come in.”

 

The door opened and closed and climbing up the steps was Bull. He gave her a grin and waggled his eyebrows when he saw her in the tub. “Damn, Kadan, if we weren’t both exhausted to the point of passing out…”

 

She flushed lightly and splashed a little water at him when he got close enough. She giggled before muttering, “No kidding.”

 

He made his way around to the chair. Upon spotting the glass, he inquired softly, “Are you okay?”

 

“It’s just been...a long day.”

 

“I could definitely agree.” He set it carefully on the floor, still within her reach, and sank into the chair. “Samson is secure. Since the Chargers are out in the Wilds with the others, I just...came straight here.”

 

“Do you want to get some?” Ena gestured to the stash of alcohol.

 

“Hmm...don’t mind if I do.” When Bull returned with his own glass, he set it down by hers and leaned over, picking up one of the oils. “Here, lean forward. Don’t want any in the drinks.”

 

Ena laughed wearily as she obeyed. “Priorities, hmm?”

 

“Naturally.” She could hear the grin in his response, then couldn’t suppress her soft moan of pleasure as Bull’s large hands began rubbing the oil into her hair, giving her quite a pleasant massage. “Careful, Kadan,” he whispered.

 

“We’re both too tired, Bull.”

 

“I can  _ always _ find energy.”

 

“Well,  _ I’m _ too tired.”

 

“Damn.”

 

She giggled again, then fell silent, letting him work his magic. She fell into her thoughts, her mind racing with questions as to everything that had occurred during their time in the Temple of Mythal. It all felt like a horrible blur or even a nightmare. They’d seen Corypheus blown to pieces, yet he possessed another body and was able to live again as though nothing had harmed him. Then there was the sentinels, Abelas, the Vir’abelasan…

 

Being surrounded by the ancient elvhen made Ena think about the vallaslin still upon her face. She reached a hand up and traced the lines. The sentinels all still bore Mythal’s mark proudly, it seemed. All the stories she’d heard of Mythal from both Dalish lore and from Aravae was that Mythal was by far the kindest of the Evanuris, so perhaps even after all this time, they were still proud to say that they served her.

 

But Ena didn’t know what to think she was proud of anymore, especially her vallaslin. Learning that they were slave markings was a huge blow to her beliefs, but even after learning that, she couldn’t quite bring herself to think of them in such a way. They meant different things to her personally, but now she couldn’t help but feel that every time Aravae or Solas looked at her, they saw a slave. They obviously never treated her in such a way, but she couldn’t get that thought out of her head.

 

She tried to stop thinking. She didn’t want to think any longer at the moment. She just wanted to enjoy a moment of quiet with her vhenan rubbing her shoulders and back, the two sipping on their drinks before they would eventually fall asleep in her bed together.

 

* * *

 

From the moment they got Abelas into Aravae’s tower, he couldn’t stop his murmurings in their native tongue until he was given Aravae’s bed and promptly passed out in it. Solas assured her, “He will be fine. He will just need some rest. We can discuss what to do in the morning. It’s already late.”

 

Aravae glanced a little longingly at her occupied bed. Solas laced his fingers with hers and tugged her along. “Come. We can stay in my room tonight.”

 

For some reason - likely because of how drained she was - she laughed a little. “I don’t think I’ve been to your room very often.”

 

“Well...your bed  _ is _ more comfortable and your quarters more private. But we will make due.”

 

They left Abelas a small note beside the bed, should he wake up before them in the morning or should they not see him in the Fade that night. They made their way along the battlements, Banal’ras following silently as ever, until they came to the living area, where much of the inner circle had rooms. As they stepped inside Solas’s room, they were surprised to see a tub of hot water waiting for them. “Ena must have asked for one for everyone,” Aravae assumed.

 

“Most likely. She is quite considerate. That must have been the tub for you that we shooed away a short time ago.” They made their way in and closed the door behind them.

 

Banal’ras took his time investigating every nook and cranny of the room, sniffing at the stacks of books that were flowing out from the shelves that Solas had already filled. He soon found a corner of the room he seemed to like and sat down on the floor, licking his legs and paws. Aravae dipped her fingers into the water and hummed softly. “It would be a shame to let this go to waste.”

 

Solas was behind her in an instant, his lips pressing to the side of her neck. “Then let us not waste it.”

 

“So hasty,” Aravae chided. “We just got back and went through so much. How do you have energy to spare? Or the mentality?”

 

He began working on unbuckling her armor for her, slowly planting kisses where he could find bare skin. “We have survived. You are unscathed. We have hope for the future. Abelas has agreed to help us  _ and _ he now possesses all the knowledge of the Vir’abelasan. We are home. We are safe. We are together.”

 

Aravae leaned into his touch, her belly growing hot. “You do raise compelling arguments, ma vhenan. However, can we at least get clean first?”

 

He hummed lowly. “I suppose I’ll allow it.”

 

She turned with an arched eyebrow and an amused grin dancing across her lips. She tilted a hip up and set her hand there. “Oh, you’ll  _ allow _ it, will you?”

 

He flashed her a wily smirk, to which she responded with a quick laugh and a light push on his chest. His eyes darkened and he snatched her wrists just before she turned away from him, pinning them down at her side. She gazed up into his eyes, unwavering. He gave her a quick peck on the nose. “Very well. Would you like to go first?”

 

“Hmm. I would.”

 

~~~

 

Solas took a step back and began to work on his armor while Aravae finished undressing. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that he was still facing her, though her backside was now to him. With a playful smile, she turned her head back towards the tub and slowly bent over, sliding her breeches down until they rested in a crumpled pile at her ankles. She stood back up, making sure to take her time. As she set a single foot into the warm water, she tugged at the ribbon in her hair that was holding it back in its braid. By time she got it unwound, she was sliding down completely into the water. There was a soft, suppressed moan and she looked towards Solas innocently. His expression was much less so. It was more of an accusatory glare, his lips pressed together. “That was unkind.”

 

“Was it?” she frowned, as though she had no idea of what he was speaking about. Before he had a chance to reply, she turned away again, leaning over the side of the tub to grab the oils that were sitting there. She began to work on scrubbing her skin and face clean first. She felt positively grubby after several days of riding and a solid day of hard fighting. She didn’t even want to think about how much oil she would need for her hair alone. More than once, she thought about chopping it off and being done with it. She knew she’d miss it the moment it was done, though.

 

She still tried to wash rather quickly. She rubbed her skin until it hurt and washed her hair as best she could with the knots that were in it. Since the staff clearly hadn’t anticipated Aravae being in Solas’s room, there weren’t any conditioning agents that she could use to help detangle it. She would make due. Knowing that Solas was still eyeing her like a hawk from off to the side, nearly entirely undressed, she made sure to move a little slower when she was rubbing certain areas like her breasts or when she had her back arched to lean her head back into the water to rinse her hair. 

 

When she was wringing out her hair, Solas grabbed the towel and held it out to her. She stood, shivering lightly in the cool air, Solas’s eyes all but darting to watch the way her body moved. With a soft chuckle, she took the towel and stepped out of the tub, starting to dry herself off, using a small spell to help warm herself and speed the process up, especially with her hair. Solas quickly got into the tub and began to wash. Though Aravae knew good and well she wasn’t likely going to  _ need _ any clothes for the evening, she made a quiet whining noise. “I didn’t bring any fresh clothes to change into.”

 

As if reading her mind, he replied quickly with, “What do you need clothes for?”

 

“For in the morning.”

 

“Then we will figure it out in the morning.”

 

“Hnn.”

 

Having much less hair than Aravae, Solas finished his bath in a more timely manner. Aravae pushed her spell through the single towel to dry it, then passed it to him as he stood, her eyes catching full glimpse of his arousal. He clearly must have caught her looking, because he moved rather slowly taking the towel and stepping out of the tub. She turned her back to him and worked on finishing drying her hair with her spell, slowly making her way to the bed. Damn him. Damn him and his wonderfully sculpted body and his tone and his length and his experience at making her feel...just...amazing. Damn him and his cockyness, because he knew how much she loved it.

 

She had not been expecting him to grab her by her shoulder, spin her around, and crush his lips to hers, pushing her back with his entire body until her back and head thudded against the wall. For a split moment, her mind panicked at whoever was in the rooms next to them, but with the heat of the kiss, she quickly forgot about her worries. Solas’s hands pressed against the wall on either side of her shoulders, effectively boxing her in and leaving her with no room for escape. Not that she minded. She wasn’t going anywhere.

 

She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him closer, tilting her head and deepening their kiss. He pressed his entirely erect cock up against her, sending a very different kind of shudder through her body. They relished within each other’s close embrace for several long seconds, their breathing loud and forced as though they were both drowning and desperate for air. One of Solas’s hands then rubbed down along Aravae’s thigh and he broke the kiss just long enough to bend over and hook his hand around the backside of her knee, pulling her leg up. Their dark eyes connected with each other and Aravae instantly knew what he wanted. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight, barely in time as he grabbed her other leg and lifted her off the ground, pressing her against the wall. She tilted her head down, still devouring him with kisses. 

 

When she pulled away for air, she looked down at him as he tilted his head and began attacking her neck and chest with his mouth and tongue. Her eyes dragged along what little of his chest she could see and his arms, watching his biceps and forearms with appreciation as they worked to hold her steady up in the air. She watched as he shifted her and took a moment to position himself, then he set her down atop his cock, slowly lowering her onto him. She couldn’t - didn’t - stop the throaty moan that drew forth from her. Encouraged by her sounds, Solas made sure he had a solid grip on her, then started moving them about the room.

 

She knew they had knocked over several things. They went from the wall to the small table he had in his room, where he sat at for reading and writing. She felt her backside shove into a few things, clattering them to the floor. Then they were atop the trunk at the foot of Solas’s bed. They ended up on the floor at one point before Aravae tugged him up so that they could move to the bed. Their hands grabbed at each other, Aravae’s nails scratched at his back, their lips kissing, sucking, nibbling on whatever flesh they could find. The longer they went, the hazier everything got from Aravae’s perspective. The amount of pleasure was so overwhelming, she had a hard time thinking straight. When he began drawing glyphs on her body, she made sure to do the same in return to him, which drew forth sharp breaths and soft growls from him. She rode him, pinning his wrists down beside his head. He quickly overpowered her and flipped them over, keeping her pinned down instead. A breathless laugh escaped Aravae as she fought back against him, though unable to match his strength.

 

Solas smirked and leaned down, close each for their sweaty bodies to stick together. He grazed his teeth along her ear, making her whimper quietly. “Yield,” he whispered thickly.

 

“No,” she gasped immediately, trying to use the strength left in her legs to push him up and off of her, a grin on her face all the while.

 

He bucked his hips hard, grinding into her with such ferocity that she fell still, breathing heavily. “Yield, vhenan.”

 

“No.”

 

His eyes gleamed at the thrill of her challenging him. Though she was tiring and foggy-minded, she fought to attempt at dominating him. She enjoyed their rough movements and wrestling, even though she knew in the back of her mind that he would very likely win every single time. She didn’t mind it one bit, but she didn’t want him to have a simple victory.

 

He reached up, cuffing both of her wrists with a single hand. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, lifting her up slightly and pressing her close against him. He gave a few hard thrusts, both moaning in sync. His hand wandered lower until he was gripping her ass, giving her rough squeezes on it, pulling forth a startled mewl from her lips. He glanced up at her and chuckled lowly. “The sounds you make could undo me,” he murmured, peppering her with a couple of kisses before thrusting once more.

 

“The things you do could undo me,” she replied, watching him through heavy lids.

 

She could hear the smirk on his lips more than she saw. “Is that so?”

 

“Possibly.”

 

“Then  _ yield _ and wrap your legs around me.”

 

His tone left no more room for argument. Aravae let her body relax as she lifted and hooked her heels around Solas’s waist. Once she did that, he released her hands and better positioned himself. He kept one hand on her thigh, gripping tightly. He leaned down on his forearm, his face hovering not far from hers. She began to draw tight with anticipation, but Solas began moving slowly. His hips rocked gently back and forth, his lips pressing against hers with a sweet passion. “Good,” he purred. “Now...you must  _ try _ and remain quiet, but if you want all of Skyhold to hear you...I won’t stop you.”

 

She inhaled sharply when he began thrusting himself fully into her, hard, with every movement showing no signs of slowly down. She tried to keep her moans suppressed in her throat, but a couple slipped past her lips. “ _ Ah _ -! So-Solas…!”

 

He moaned low and thick in his throat. “Aravae…!”

 

She snaked her arms around him and held tight, her nails digging into his skin. He hissed softly from the marks she was undoubtedly leaving, but he didn’t let that deter him. He kept gripping her thigh with almost bruising strength. It wasn’t long before Aravae was bucking her own hips, trying to match his pace while her back began arching, her lips parted with pleasure. Just as she felt herself about to spill over the edge, Solas slowed so quickly, she reeled, looking up at him with a vexed frown. He, on the other hand, was smirking.

 

“Yield.”

 

She growled with frustration and reached up, biting on his lower lip. Her hands came up to the back of his head, forcing his lips to then crush against hers. “I yield,” she grumbled between the kisses.

 

With those two words, Solas resumed  _ very  _ quickly. It didn’t take long at all for Aravae to build back up. As she felt the heat boiling in her belly, she moaned and whispered in a swift tone, “Ar lath, ma Solas, ma vhenan.”

 

“Ar lath, ma Aravae.”

 

She cried out her pleasure when her climax hit, her body tensing with the release. Only moments later, Solas followed her, groaning into her shoulder, spilling his seed inside of her, filling her. In the following seconds, all that could be heard was their heavy panting. The silence was deafening. That thought made Aravae suddenly feel shy and embarrassed. Solas may have been teasing her, but she wouldn’t be surprised if not one, but several of the inner circle members had choice words with them in the morning. Still, she did not regret it. She could handle their probes at the two of them.

 

For now, all she wanted to do was catch her breath and lay beside the man she loved, both weary from their lovemaking. “Shall we clean up?” Solas asked her, already reaching for the towel.

 

She reached over and stopped him, gazing up into his blue eyes as he turned back towards her. “In a bit.”

 

~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello again everyone! I'm sorry it took me a little longer to get this one written. That was entirely on me. Smut takes me a little longer to work through. I hope it didn't feel too rushed, but I decided to not sludge through it anymore! There it is, in all its elvhen glory.
> 
> And actually, this chapter scared me. I am...much, much closer to the end than I thought and that feeling makes me...super sad and excited at the same time. Thank you all for joining me on this adventure and caring so much about the character and the stories. It means the world to me! <3
> 
> See you all soon!


	43. Chapter 43

When Aravae woke the next morning, it was to a knocking on her door. Or rather, on Solas’s, as she remembered where she was when she opened her eyes. She felt him stir and tense behind her, his arms holding onto her a little tighter. However, when it was a request in elvhen to open the door, the two begrudgingly sat up in bed, finding the nearest clean clothes they could. Aravae threw on a sweater and pair of breeches that were clearly Solas’s, but it didn’t matter to her much. Once they were both decent, Solas opened the door and invited Abelas in. He seemed weary, though that didn’t stop him from raising an eyebrow at Aravae’s appearance. Her very expression challenged him to say something. He didn’t.

 

_ “I apologize for taking your bed last night,” _ he said after a moment.

 

She shook her head.  _ “That’s nothing to apologize for.” _

 

_ “How are you feeling?” _ Solas inquired.  _ “I cannot imagine taking on the Vir’abelasan is an easy task.” _

 

_ “Indeed.” _ His brows furrowed and he took a deep breath.  _ “There is...much going on in my head at the moment. I’m not quite sure where to begin sorting through it.” _

 

_ “It will take some time, that much is for certain.” _

 

_ “Agreed. Now, as for why I’m here...once we are all dressed for it,” _ his eyes passed over Aravae, who glared in return,  _ “I would like to take the eluvian back as close as we can to the temple to gather the other sentinels.” _

 

_ “So you’ve decided?” _

 

_ “Yes. We will aid you in ridding us all of this Corypheus. If he is seeking other ancient elvhen creations that may have survived, we cannot allow him to do as he pleases.”  _

 

_ “The only eluvian we have immediate access to is the one we came through - Morrigan believes it to be hers. The human woman who wanted the well,” _ Aravae added. 

 

_ “Your point being?” _ Abelas sounded irritated. _ “It is not hers. We may just go through it.” _

 

_ “I don’t like it any more than you do, but unfortunately, in this situation, we need to be courteous. We need to at least speak with Ena. I’m sure she has plenty of questions.” _

 

_ “The Inquisitor, you mean? _ ” Abelas sighed.  _ “Very well. I can meet you there, if you wish? Just tell me how to get there.” _

 

Solas gave him a short description towards the direction of the war room, where Ena likely would be this morning, trying to figure out her next move and wondering if the raven they had sent out last night had made it safely to the Arbor Wilds. Abelas excused himself and made his way down the hall. Solas turned to Aravae with a playful smirk. “Shall you get changed?”

 

“Oh? You don’t want to see me parading around in your clothing?” she inquired with an arched eyebrow.

 

“As amusing as it would be, you know that the attention drawn to yourself would be-”

 

“Yes, I know. I would hate it.” She shook her head and looked down at her current wardrobe that was slightly too large for her. “I don’t suppose you would go to my room and grab my clothes for me, would you?”

 

“I  _ could _ …” His smirk turned devilish. “For a price?”

 

She couldn’t hold back her grin. “And what would that be?”

 

“A kiss, my fair lady.”

 

“Hmm...it is a steep price, but one I suppose I must pay.” She tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his, giving him a slow, yet sweet, kiss.

 

Solas cupped her cheek as he returned it, then pulled away, clearly satisfied. He told her to wait and that he would return shortly. Aravae did as he asked, not anxious to step outside while wearing Solas’s sweater and breeches. Thinking about last night made her cheeks warm as she thought about who would be the first to make a comment as to their...noise level.

 

She rubbed Banal’ras as he came to sit beside her while she perused his book collection. He had managed to get his hands on even more texts written in ancient elvhen than she had. She’d searched anywhere they had gone, in case some had been picked up and held onto by other people, but it was a rare thing to find. He also had a magnificent number of books discussing the Fade. She picked up one of those and flipped through it, but quickly discarded it. It was just another version of the creation myth of the Veil, not something that she was interested in reading about. 

 

Solas returned relatively quickly, and judging by the small pulse of his magic that she felt, he’d sped up the process by fade-stepping. Which she didn’t blame him for. He stepped through the door and handed her her fresh clothes that were, thankfully, the ones she had been hoping he would get. It was just her normal wear for around Skyhold, but it was rather comfortable...as she’d admitted to Josephine after the woman had had them made for her. 

 

Once she was situated, the two headed off towards the War Room, Banal’ras ever present, where they found Abelas standing in front of the door, looking rather grumpy. He at least had the courtesy to speak in the Common Tongue, should anyone come by. “She is not in there.”

 

“Perhaps up in the rookery, then, speaking with Charter,” Aravae suggested. She led the way, the two men following along after her. Once they entered the Great Hall, Banal’ras veered off by himself.

 

Abelas watched after him with a curious eye. “Where did you come across such a beast, Aravae? And how did you tame him?”

 

“That’s a long story, but...he isn’t tamed,” she replied with a slight laugh at the end.

 

He looked alarmed. “Yet he just wanders about the keep?”

 

“He has yet to maul anyone. Everyone leaves him well enough alone and he keeps to himself. He is likely going outside the walls to find food. But...it’s also possible that some people in here slip him things.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

When they walked through the rotunda, the sentinel glanced up at the frescos, his face betraying no emotion, though his eyes told Aravae that he looked...impressed or pleased. One of those. As they took the stairs up and she locked eyes with Dorian, she  _ knew _ . He gave her too much of a, as Varric would say, shit-eating grin. “Why, my dear,” he said lowly to her as she passed by, “you aren’t going to make a ruckus passing through here? No loud stomping sounds, and your hands to yourself? How terribly dull.”

 

She pursed her lips together and fought off a flush. She wasn’t sure if she was successful, judging by how his grin spread and he cackled. “Be silent, Pavus.”

 

He gave a dramatic bow. “As you wish, Lady Witch of Storms.”

 

Solas came up to her side as they made their way towards the stairs that would take them up to the last floor. “What was that about?”

 

“Nothing,” she muttered through clenched teeth.

 

Clearly, he didn’t believe her, but he chose not to say more.

 

Thankfully, Ena was upstairs. She was sitting at a desk with Charter, both women seated and talking in hushed tones, expressions serious. When the redhead heard the approach, she glanced up from the mess of papers on the table and smiled wearily at them. “Ah, good morning. I hope you all slept well?”

 

“You have my thanks,” Abelas said first, not directly answering her. “At Aravae’s request, I am here to request that we be allowed to make use of the eluvian so that we might return for my people.”

 

Aravae groaned softly. Abelas clearly didn’t care about subtlety and keeping words like ‘eluvian’ under wraps. Knowing Leliana, her top three agents likely knew about the eluvian anyways.

 

Ena blinked, taking a moment to register what he had said. “Straight to business, then. Charter, would you mind excusing us?”

 

“Would you like a cup of the lady ambassador’s Antivan coffee?”

 

“ _ Please _ . I could use it this morning. Would any of you like some?”

 

“No, thank you,” Solas replied kindly.

 

Charter nodded and stepped out of the rookery. Just in case he kept throwing out sensitive information, Aravae wrapped the four of them within a sound barrier, keeping their voices contained. Ena folded her hands together in her lap. “The eluvian isn’t exactly mine to give permission to use, unfortunately.”

 

“Perhaps you would be able to make the request on behalf of us?” Solas suggested diplomatically. “I doubt the Witch would be quick to do any favors for us after we all but took the Vir’abelasan from under her grasp.”

 

“No, I imagine not…” Ena frowned. “Speaking of which, how are you feeling, Abelas?”

 

“I will manage, given time. I have not had an opportunity yet to ask, but what was your reasoning on wanting the Vir’abelasan?”

 

“Originally, we had just wanted to keep Corypheus away from it. However, just before we met you, one of the temple’s defenses...should have blown him away, but he survived by…” She gave a shrug, her brows furrowed. “Transferring to another body or something of that nature. If he can do that...then how are we supposed to defeat him? We were hoping that there may be a way within the knowledge of the Vir’abelasan to help with a solution to that.”

 

Abelas’s jaw clenched. “He...was able to do such a thing?”

 

“It would not be something potentially obtainable with the orb,” Solas pointed out, his words laced with guilt.

 

“You have a point.” Abelas closed his eyes, as if deep in thought, then he winced. “I will do as you ask, as a thanks for being respectful to our temple and Mythal. It will take me some time to sort through the information, however.”

 

“That’s fine. Take...well, as much as I would like to say as long as you need, but we don’t know when Corypheus will show up next. Or where.” The Inquisitor gave him an apologetic look.

 

“I understand, do not fret. I will see what can be done.”

 

“Thank you. May I ask what you and your people will do?”

 

“Until this threat is dealt with, I plan on bringing them to Skyhold.”

 

Ena opened, then closed her mouth, making an expression of consideration. Aravae tilted her head slightly. “What is it?”

 

“You said that you found some other elvhen still alive at one of Falon’din’s temples, right? And that they weren’t going to necessarily side with you until someone else did? Well...no one hardly goes to the Arbor Wilds anyways. Now that we know about the sentinels, I assume it’s because they discard anyone that does get too close. But it may be the safest location. Why not tell the Falon’din followers to join at the Temple of Mythal?”

 

There was a stretch of silence as the elvhen all exchanged looks with each other. Abelas gave a slow nod. “This is...not a bad suggestion, actually.”

 

“Actually?” Ena muttered with a slight frown.

 

Aravae intervened, “We just hadn’t thought of that. We were under the assumption that perhaps those in the Temple of Mythal would want to leave and not be obligated to remain in such a place where they no longer have any duties. But you raise a good point. It is familiar territory and will keep the elvhen under wraps for a little longer. That is a point we will deal with later.” She looked to Solas. “We could go to the Temple of Falon’din and speak with Raynia. With news of Abelas and his people joining, perhaps she will finally listen and agree to help.”

 

“Yes. And while we do that, you can go and relay information to the others, Abelas. If that is agreeable?” Solas shifted his eyes towards the white-haired man.

 

He grunted and gave a quick nod. “Yes, this would be preferable. My people just lost their lifelong purpose. The last thing they need is to have uptight and defensive shemlen all around them.”

 

Ena looked pleased, her lips curving upwards in a gentle smile. “I agree. I believe that’ll be best for the People. If you would like to wait somewhere in the gardens, I will go find Morrigan and ask her about letting you borrow the eluvian. I will also try to make sure she doesn’t follow you.”

 

“Would you like me to go with you?” Aravae offered.

 

“No, it’s okay. I think she may be more receptive if I go alone.”

 

“...Yes, I think you’re right. We’ll do as you ask. Oh, I will leave Banal’ras behind. Would you mind keeping an eye on him?”

 

“Of course.” Ena stood from her chair. “I’ll meet you in the gardens soon, lethallin.”

 

Aravae dropped her barrier and Ena went on ahead of them, hurrying down the steps to track down Morrigan. The three elvhen took their time, walking down the spiraled stairs in no hurry at all. Abelas kept looking as though he wanted to ask questions, but his golden eyes would dart around, remembering they weren’t necessarily in the most confidence of company. As they passed by Dorian again, he waggled his eyebrows at Aravae, who scowled, though the tips of her ears still burned with embarrassment.

 

Abelas once more looked at the frescos Solas had painted as they passed through the rotunda. They went through the Great Hall and came out the other side in the gardens. There weren’t too many people out yet, since it was still early and most that were awake were the remaining recruits that had been left to defend Skyhold in the worst case scenario. However, it was only a skeleton crew and they were just keeping up their patrols, not running through drills or anything. A few staff individuals were in the gardens, planting and harvesting what was ready, tucking them into baskets. As the three elvhen headed for a more private corner, Aravae eyed what they were harvesting for curiosity’s sake. It had been some time since she’d been in the gardens helping out. If only things would slow down again, she would enjoy taking the time to be out and about again.

 

Once they were tucked mostly out of sight, behind large bushes of roses - the spot where Aravae would usually sneak off to read - Solas arched a brow towards Abelas. “Something on your mind?”

 

“I suppose I’m just…” He paused, his voice sticking a little in his throat. “I’m just really seeing the outside world for the first time since the Veil was created. I haven’t left the temple. To see all these shemlen within Tarasy’lan Te’las is quite jarring. I can’t even imagine what the rest of the temples now look like and what has truly become of the rest of the People.”

 

“It...isn’t an easy thing to first experience,” Aravae nearly whispered, her eyes falling to look at the ground. “I didn’t realize how far elves had fallen in the hierarchy of society. I was nearly killed not long after waking.”

 

“You haven’t been awake all this time?” Abelas frowned. “Where did you find that was safe to sleep?”

 

“One of Falon’din’s minor temples. My family was put to rest there. When I entered the crypts, everything was in chaos. No one cared that I went in. When I woke, there was no one else there that wasn’t a corpse. The upper levels of the temple and scattered around it were all bones from those who’d died.”

 

“Curious that the crypts were not destroyed or defiled by invaders.”

 

“Perhaps no one cared enough. Thanks to the war, the crypts became long, hard-to-navigate mazes. One could get lost in them without knowing where to go. Especially those who couldn’t read the elvhen written on the walls.”

 

“I suppose you’re right.” Abelas gave a quick glance around, as if ensuring there wasn’t anyone nearby. “How did you come to entrust the Inquisitor with so much knowledge? She knows your true natures, yes?”

 

“She is a trustworthy person,” Aravae replied instantly. “She is the one who proved to me that this world still has worth and hope.”

 

“She shows a wisdom beyond her years and is befitting of the People,” Solas added in agreement. “She is a great ally, as well.”

 

Abelas made a thoughtful sound, but said no more. The three waited in silence until Ena appeared, waving them over to the door, which Aravae could tell was no longer protected with Morrigan’s magic. They all stepped through and Ena closed it behind them. She gave a meek clearing of her throat. “Well, she wasn’t happy about it, but she agreed. You can use the eluvian.”

 

“Good. Then we should depart at once.” Abelas moved closer towards the mirror, speaking the words to unlock it.

 

“Impatient,” Aravae whispered softly under her breath. “Thank you, Ena. We should be back before too long.”

 

She gave an encouraging nod. “Good luck.”

 

_ We’ll need it, _ the elvhen woman thought silently.

 

Abelas, Aravae, and Solas walked through the eluvian, making sure to close it behind them. Abelas immediately walked towards the one that would get him closest to the temple, since the one within had been destroyed. Aravae and Solas found that the one that resided in the nearest Temple of Falon’din was still intact. Though Raynia would likely not be happy about being dropped in on like that, it was the quickest way to them. She would have to deal with it. Abelas glanced back at them with a short, curt nod. “We will be awaiting your arrival.”

 

“We’ll pass the message along,” Solas replied. “Hopefully they won’t be too stubborn about it.”

 

Abelas gave a soft scoff, one that said plenty about his feelings towards Falon’din followers. Aravae broke out into a small smirk. She couldn’t fault him for that. She felt the same, even about herself, sometimes. He vanished beyond the eluvian and she looked to the one before them. She took a breath and unlocked it, nervous to step into the light. Solas gave her hand a light squeeze, which she returned and thanked him silently. She didn’t want to be looked at scornfully from them all again, but she understood why they did. She was a traitor to them, as far as they were concerned. However, those were old feelings that they clung to. If she sat down with them and began to talk, she wondered if they would slowly let go of them and admit that they were wrong about the god they once lived their lives for.

 

Side by side, they walked through the eluvian.

 

It seemed that they startled the two standing guard on the other side, yet once they realized who it was, the shock wore off quickly.  _ “Raynia said that you would return,” _ one of the men said.

 

Aravae arched an intrigued eyebrow.  _ “Did she? Where is she now?” _

 

The guards exchanged a glance.  _ “Likely in the courtyard, training. We can take you-” _

 

_ “That’s quite alright. I remember the way,” _ she interrupted.  _ “Thank you.” _

 

Solas followed along behind her as she led the way into the temple. A few routes she had to stop and go another way, thanks to parts of the building that had crumbled in on itself, blocking the way through. Still, she remembered each of the temples like that back of her hand. She wandered their halls enough in her previous life. Not to mention, this one was nowhere near as large as the main temple that she typically resided near. 

 

The sounds of grunts and clacking wood reached her ears as she led them outside, on the far side of the courtyard. They looked down at the scene while descending steps. Indeed, Raynia was there, bearing a wooden quarterstaff, sparring with a clearly younger and less experienced elvhen girl. She appeared to be around her late teen years, but she had to be a bit older than that. She must have been born after the Veil was raised, living her life within the temple. She caught sight of Aravae and Solas, pausing for just a moment too long. Raynia smacked the quarterstaff on the backside of her knees, sweeping her off her feet and landing with a solid  _ thud _ on the ground.  _ “How many times have I told you to not get distracted from your opponent?” _ Raynia hissed with low patience.

 

_ “Too many,” _ she grunted in return, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

 

_ “Indeed. And apparently not enough. Go take a break. I have business with them.”  _ Raynia’s eyes met Aravae’s, gesturing for them to enter the center of the courtyard. The young woman groaned and limped off.

 

Raynia wiped sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and sat down on the nearest set of steps.  _ “I figured you would return sooner or later.” _

 

_ “That’s what your guards said.” _ Aravae stopped and remained standing before Raynia.  _ “I know you like to cut to the chase, so I suppose we’ll do just that.” _

 

_ “You found others, then.” _ She laid the staff across her lap and leaned back a little.  _ “Where?” _

 

_ “The Temple of Mythal. It is very well preserved, even more so than here,” _ Solas supplied.  _ “They were still guarding Mythal’s Vir’abelasan, but Corypheus - the one threatening all life on Thedas - attacked the temple, desiring it for himself. The Vir’abelasan now no longer exists, but its knowledge resides within one of the servants of Mythal.” _

 

Aravae took a breath and picked up where he left off.  _ “The People would be in a better position if we all banded together. Enough of us have been lost to invasions and time. Would you take your remaining people to the Temple of Mythal while we search for others? There is plenty of room and resources for others to live there, for now.” _

 

Raynia hummed and looked down at the ground while she thought. After a few moments, she pulled her gaze back up.  _ “You still plan on creating a new place for the elvhen?” _

 

_ “Yes,” _ Aravae responded immediately.  _ “With all of us together, we can easily defend it from shemlen invasions. We can set magical traps to confuse those who wander too close. But we all need to come together and no longer be divided by things that happened in the past.” _

 

Raynia scoffed without amusement.  _ “You make it sound so easy.” _

 

_ “It isn’t. It would take time and endeavoring on all sides, but for the sake of our survival, don’t you believe that we could all overcome it and work together?” _

 

There was a long pause, but she then gestured with her head.  _ “Fae’lin over there? She was born after everything happened. It was quite some time after things had settled down, but her parents never lost hope. They wanted to continue on, raise a child for the future. She was born, but her parents were killed in a fight to defend the temple. We’ve all come together to help raise and train her. She’s never seen the glory of our people...only the remnants of it.” _ She tapped the side of her leg and stood up.  _ “If what you’re saying is true...that I can trust you with the future of our people and you can take us as close as possible to what we used to be...then yes. I will bring them.” _

 

_ “We will,” _ Solas assured her. 

 

Raynia looked between the two of them, analyzing their expressions. She then nodded and tapped the staff on the ground.  _ “Very well, then. It’ll take me a little bit of time to prepare. So if you would like to go and send the word to those at Mythal’s, well...you know where the eluvian is.” _

 

_ “That I do,” _ Aravae confirmed.  _ “Thank you, Raynia. Thank you for giving this a chance.” _

 

Raynia’s dark brown eyes shifted and looked off to the side.  _ “Fae’lin! That’s long enough, let’s get back to it!” _

 

Clearly, their conversation was now over, so Aravae and Solas left the center of the courtyard, starting to head back the way they’d come. As the climbed the steps, Aravae frowned suddenly as a queasy feeling hit her stomach. It was enough to make her unsteady, so she came to a halt for a few seconds. Solas frowned and glanced at her. “Are you okay?”

 

The intensity of it passed, but she still felt slightly uneasy. “Yes, I’m fine. Abelas rushed us out so quickly that I didn’t have time to eat this morning. Once we get to the temple, I’ll just have to find something to put on my stomach.”

 

“Shall we continue on, then?”

 

“Yes. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm so sorry that this chapter took to long to get written, but my motivation for it just flew out the window and would not return from war. I know it may also not be the most exciting of chapters, but it is crucial to the plot and also dropped some hints about for what is to come!
> 
> Please, please feel free to tell me what you thought! Comments fuel the fire of creativity and motivation, they really do. 
> 
> I hope to see you all soon!


	44. Chapter 44

Aravae and Solas spent the remainder of their day at the Temple of Mythal, assisting Abelas with whatever he needed in preparing the sentinels for the arrival of more elvhen. Aravae had made sure to get some food in her belly, which seemed to help her nausea fade away. She was grateful for that. She hadn’t felt that strange in quite a while. 

 

There were mixed emotions among the sentinels. Some were a little excited to see elvhen other than themselves for the first time in centuries. Some still clung to old ideals and weren’t as pleased, seeing the newcomers as potential enemies instead. She tried to help calm those people down, but she could only do so much.

 

Solas made sure to remind Abelas about Felassan being out in the world, searching for other survivors and told him that he would pass word along to him to send those he found to the Temple of Mythal. Abelas assured him that he would inform a few under his direct command about it and ensure that the way was open for all elvhen that arrived.

 

Satisfied with everything and how it seemed it would all go well, Aravae and Solas decided that they shouldn’t stay away all day from Skyhold, just in case. Abelas assured them he would be along within a couple of days once things seemed to be under control. The two went on ahead, heading back to the eluvian that would return them to the Crossroads. When they stepped into the grey world of the in-between, Aravae came to a stop and looked around at the rows of eluvians. Solas slowed when he realized she wasn’t at his side, glancing back at her. “What is it?”

 

She took her time in replying. Her eyes lingered on the dark eluvians first, then moved to those that appeared to be able to be opened. She went to a dark one and rested her hand on its glassy, solid surface, a deep sadness eating away at her. Perhaps one day, they would be able to repair the broken eluvians, but until then, wherever they may have led was closed off to them. Other temples that were beyond reach by foot were stranded alone, perhaps with elvhen living within...perhaps not. They had no way of knowing.

 

She went back to the functioning one they’d just stepped out of, its gentle light swirling like mist. Her sadness was replaced with a softer feeling - one of joy. It had been such a long, long road to get here, but soon, her dream would be realized. The elvhen would no longer be scattered about Thedas, living in isolation, being assaulted by invaders at every waking moment. They would unite and from the ruins of the Temple of Mythal, they would soon begin to rebuild. She would be among her people again. She could provide a home for them. She could finally stop feeling like she didn’t belong in the world.

 

She felt hot tears stinging at her eyes as she finally shook her head and turned back to Solas. “It almost doesn’t feel real, that this is happening.”

 

Solas’s smile was warm and gentle. He closed the distance between them and cupped her cheek, stroking her skin with his thumb. “It’s all because of you. You made this possible.”

 

“You did, too,” she insisted. “”You were open-minded. You listened.”

 

“And I am glad I did.”

 

“Me too.”

 

Hand in hand, they walked back through the eluvian that took them into the storage room of Skyhold. Much to Aravae’s relief, Morrigan wasn’t hovering within. She had been imagining the angry witch standing by the eluvian with arms crossed, ready to corner them for answers. She could respect Morrigan’s resolve and thirst for knowledge, but she was much too aggressive about it for Aravae’s taste.

 

They locked the eluvian behind them and entered the courtyard. It was evening, the sky painted in oranges, reds, pinks, and purples as the sun set behind the mountains. Aravae squeezed Solas’s hand. “I’ll go find Ena and let her know what’s going on.”

 

He nodded. “I will be in the rotunda.”

 

“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”

 

He pressed his lips to the backside of her hand before releasing it, the two going their separate ways. Aravae figured that she would check Ena’s room first. She climbed the stairs up and knocked on the door. There was an instant response for her to enter. She stepped through, closed the door behind her, and climbed the remaining steps up into the main part of the room. Ena was sitting at her desk on the far side, frowning at a stack of papers. When she looked up, Aravae saw the relief wash over her. “Welcome back. I could just imagine Josephine hovering over me and threatening me to get some of this done, but… Ugh, I could use a break.”

 

“Want some fresh air?”

 

“ _ Yes _ .” Ena walked to the balcony and swung the doors open, the two women walking out into the cool air. Ena promptly leaned forward on the railings, taking in a deep breath, then sighing with a smile on her lips. “So how did it go?”

 

Aravae stood beside her with her arms crossed and tilted her head. “It went...surprisingly well.”

 

She delved into more details, sharing everything with her from the events at the Temple of Falon’din to what was being done at the Temple of Mythal. Ena listened intently and with a smile. “So you’ll be trying to track down more elvhen, then?”

 

“Once we are finished here, yes. We still have Corypheus to deal with. We aren’t going to just abandon you,” Aravae promised.

 

“I appreciate that.” Ena laughed softly. “I’m not sure what I would do if you and Solas were to just up and leave.”

 

“Come now, lethallan, you know me better than that.”

 

“That I do. Well, what should we be doing while we wait on Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine to return from the Arbor Wilds? I received a reply not long ago that they were headed this way with a small faction of our best warriors while the rest of the troops are being gathered to march back.”

 

“We should relax for tonight, then figure that out in the morning.” Aravae waved a hand. “I don’t know about you, but I am rather exhausted after today.”

 

“These papers alone are enough to make me tired. Have you eaten? Do you want to get a meal from the kitchens?”

 

“We did eat, but it was hours ago by now. Yes, I think I will. Care to join me?”

 

“Of course!”

 

With Ena all too happy to leave her desk behind, the two walked side by side towards the kitchens. The cook scolded them for coming instead of sending one of the staff to come pick up food for them, but quickly prepared three dishes at Aravae’s request so that they could take the third up to Solas. They climbed back up the steps and entered the atrium, Solas sitting at his desk and staring intensely at a piece of parchment. Aravae sent her aura out to brush against his and he pulled his gaze up. Spotting the plates of food, he quickly stacked books and papers to make room. “You didn’t need to bring me anything.”

 

“If you’re not hungry, we could always offer it to Dorian,” Ena pointed out with a grin.

 

“I heard my name?” Dorian’s head appeared from above, poking over the side.

 

“Nonsense. I will eat it, thank you.” Solas pointedly picked up one of the apple slices and bit into it. 

 

“Kadan, you’re eating without  _ me _ ?” Bull’s head appeared next beside of Dorian’s.

 

Ena arched an eyebrow. “What are the two of you doing together up there?”

 

“Oh, don’t be jealous, my dear,” Dorian scoffed with a shake of his head. “We were having a perfectly civil conversation on the state of Tevinter and all its wrongdoings we all love to point out.”

 

“That sounds...pleasant?”

 

“Oh, it isn’t. That food, however, looks  _ marvelous _ .”

 

Aravae gestured vaguely to the area around them. “Would you care to join?”

 

“I do believe I shall!”

 

The necromancer and tal vashoth made their way down the stairs and came to hover around Solas’s desk. Dorian’s hand crept towards the sweet dessert on Solas’s plate, to which Solas glared threateningly at him. He tried to move on to steal Aravae’s, but he quickly seemed to decide against it on his own. Ena giggled and offered him a bite of hers.

 

“So I hear the two of you went off and had a bit of fun today,” Dorian commented quietly.

 

“Not here,” Aravae murmured in response.

 

“The witch lady is out in the courtyards,” Bull supplied, but Aravae still shook her head.

 

Thankfully, they didn’t try to press any further. Aravae could tell that Morrigan was quite cunning and was likely still fuming about the use of the eluvian. She didn’t want to give her any more potential insight as to who they were. She already felt as though she and Solas were on thin ice since the Temple of Mythal and she knew that the doors would seal shut to protect them from Corypheus’s dragon. Then the precious of Abelas likely didn’t help, accompanied with how they hadn’t really hidden the fact that they were well versed in the ancient elvhen tongue. The more she thought about it, the more Aravae would be surprised if Morrigan  _ didn’t  _ figure out their identities. At the least, there would be no way for her to make a connection of Solas to Fen’harel.

 

When they finished their dinner, Bull invited them to the usual spot - the tavern. The Chargers, which had been left at Skyhold for some extra security while they were all gone, were going to be off duty in a while and wanted to have a long night of celebrating the victory in the Arbor Wilds. Ena and Dorian accepted the invite quickly, but Aravae and Solas lingered on their decision. They glanced at each other and gave a shrug. Aravae added, “I won’t play tonight, but I’ll come and watch.”

 

“Hey, that’s fair! C’mon, let’s go get started.” Bull squeezed Ena’s shoulder from behind and started off towards the tavern.

 

Aravae and Solas walked slower and side by side, not speaking, but were perfectly in sync. They didn’t reach out and lace their fingers together, but they were close enough for the backsides of their hands to brush against each other. Perhaps for just tonight, they could unwind a little and forget about the looming danger of Corypheus. 

 

The tavern wasn’t too loud when they entered. The regular crowd was still working on filing in and even then, many of them were still out in the Wilds. Cabot was busy at the bar, pouring and serving drinks and scolding people with his deadpan expression before continuing about his duties. Aravae went ahead up to the second floor to claim a spot while Solas went to the bar for their drinks. On the first floor, tables were scraped and moved around to accompany the large group that would be playing Wicked Grace soon. Sitting on a stool by the hearth, Maryden was plucking and tuning her lute. Aravae sat with her head resting in her hand, watching absentmindedly at the people as they moved about, chatted, and laughed.

 

Only when Solas came and sat in front of her, setting the mug of alcohol down before her did she pull from her stupor. She glanced at it and offered him thanks for getting it for her. Solas frowned with concern. “Is everything okay? You looked lost in thought.”

 

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just tired after the day.”

 

“I agree. But we made good progress today, wouldn’t you say?”

 

She smiled warmly. “Yes. That we did. Things are starting to come together.”

 

He gave a nod and raised his mug to his lips before glancing over the edge to watch the happenings below them.

 

The people slowly filled up the tavern, though it was still emptier than usual. When the Chargers arrived, the party truly began. Maryden played upbeat songs, occasionally not bothering to try and sing over the ruckus, but her tunes were good for background noise and to help set the mood. The rounds of Wicked Grace began quickly - they didn’t even bother with any warm up rounds. Drinks were served, cards were dealt, and the betting began.

 

Aravae couldn’t help but smirk a little at the pure chaos that soon followed. She didn’t know how they could act in such a manner, night after night, round after round, but they did. Though it seemed a bit annoying in the beginning, it grew to just become norm. Their antics brought smiles and laughter to everyone and it relieved them of stress. When she came to realize that, the noise irritated her less and less. It was just who they were and even if they were fighting their own battles, they still came out night after night and found ways to have fun together. 

 

When she finally took a sip of her drink, she frowned and wrinkled her nose quickly. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a very pleasant taste. Solas noticed her expression and gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, he didn’t have much of a selection. He said he has a shipment coming in within the next few days.”

 

She shook her head. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Still, she only took a few more sips of it because the lingering aftertaste clung to her tongue and the back of her throat. She slid it slightly away from her, her nose still slightly wrinkled with disgust. 

 

Then, it came on not too long after. A twisting and gurgling feeling in her gut made her tense up. She turned her gaze away from the cheers from down below to over to Solas. “I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”

 

“Are you sure? Do you want me to go with you?”

 

“No, it’s fine.” She gestured to the mugs. “You still have some drink left and you’re more than welcome to finish mine. I’ll go on ahead.” She stood and walked around the side of the table, leaning down to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight.”

 

From there, Aravae nearly felt like she broke into a sprint to exit the tavern from the second story that would take her out onto the battlements. In reality, she’d only walked briskly, but Solas didn’t see her since she had to walk behind him to get to the exit. The moment she had the blast of cold mountain air hit her face, her nausea increased tenfold. She hurried to the side of the battlements and had just enough time to throw her hair back before she vomited over the side. There were several rounds in which she lost all the food and drink that had been in her stomach, followed by a few bouts of dry heaving. She coughed and spat, trying to get the horrid taste of bile off her tongue. When she sucked in air and her stomach decided to stop churning, she leaned back from the edge and sighed heavily, her knees buckling underneath her. She was at least glad that the patrol hadn’t been there at that exact moment.

 

Something from behind brushed up again her upper legs, near her hips, and she jolted a little. When she glanced back, she saw that it was Banal’ras, his eyes peering up at her with curiosity. She lowered a hand to rub the top of his head and allowed herself to sink to the ground with her back against the wall. “Sorry, ma falon,” she whispered hoarsely. “I just… Something isn’t right. Something isn’t right at all.”

 

He sat tall beside of her, his warmth comforting her. She ran her shaking fingers along his sleek coat. “Thank you… I was wondering where you were hiding at. I knew you were around. I’m glad you’re here.” Although nothing but silence answered her, she looked at his expression and nodded weakly. “Well… I don’t think I should sit out here. Maybe we should head for the tower?”

 

He stood and took a few steps away from her, his eyes latched onto her as he moved. She took a few more moments before using the wall to support herself and rise to her feet. Her vision spun a little from all the force the puking put on her body, so she had to take a few deep breaths to try and steady herself. Only when she felt ready did she start taking small steps along the stone wall to get to her tower, Banal’ras padding along silently at her side. 

 

Climbing the stairs felt like a much more difficult task than it should have been. She took them one at a time, reaching out with a hand to brace along the wall. She had this overwhelming urge to sit down and figure out what was going on, but she needed to devote every ounce of energy to just making sure she didn’t fall flat on her face on the wooden stairs. When she reached the top and opened the door to her room, and felt nothing short of pure relief. She stumbled over to her bed and promptly sat down very hard on it, hanging her head to where her hair showered down around her like a curtain. 

 

She knew...didn’t she? She knew what was going on, but… How? It was so recent and...yes, maybe she had forgotten to take her herbs. She rarely ever felt ill and the last time she had was-

 

She clenched her hands so tight that her nails dug into her palm. There was a flash of Viddathari before her eyes and a shudder ran through her body. A few sparks tingled along her skin. Yes, that was the last time, but it still had a much different feeling than this.

 

But what could she say? They were in the middle of an enormous, dangerous conflict. She couldn’t just put herself in the back of the group, far away from battle. She had to be up there with them, protecting them, watching the flows of fights to ensure everyone stayed safe. She refused to be left behind and wait impatiently for the return of her friends.

 

Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. She needed to wait and make sure she wasn’t getting the wrong idea. Though her nausea was both a foreign and familiar sensation, there could be any number of other things that it could be. She needed to wait a few more days to see. Perhaps it was just an unpleasant stomach virus or something.

 

Part of her already kept insisting on what it was, but she refused to listen to it. For the moment, at least.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t necessarily nausea that forced Aravae awake the next morning, but there was just discomfort within her that made her groan softly and open her eyes. Beside her in the bed, Solas was on his side with an arm wrapped around her midsection, snoring softly. Even through her uncomfortableness, she scoffed softly with a hint of a grin. If he was snoring, he’d likely had more to drink last night than what she left him with. She wormed out of his grasp without disturbing him, threw on her casual clothes, and made her way around Banal’ras to walk out of the room and down the stairs. She stepped out into the cool air and frowned when she noticed that the sun was only barely beginning to rise. She did  _ not _ want to be up so early, but since she was...perhaps a stroll would help to clear her mind and make her feel better.

 

Her strides were long, but slow. She looked out over the scenery past the walls of the battlements and out towards the mountains and valleys. It helped bring quiet to her thoughts that were already making an attempt at racing about in her head. She missed just being able to talk leisurely walks and look at the scenery and not having to worry about being anywhere anytime soon.

 

It was a rather pleasant morning. The patrols she passed by just gave her a polite nod and maybe a murmur of, “Ma’am,” before pressing on. None looked at her with fear in their eyes and they didn’t hurry past her. It just felt like a normal morning without being treated any differently. Aravae enjoyed it so much that once she came to the end of the battlements, she walked down the flights of stairs to the courtyard and went to the stables. They were very empty and she missed Ghilana, who would be making her way back to Skyhold with the rest of the troops, but there were still a few mounts within stalls to be tended to. She remained as out of the way of the early bird stablehands as she could, but she watched and inhaled the scent of hay. 

 

The sound of footsteps coming down stairs drew her attention. She glanced over her shoulder and locked eyes with Rainier. He looked conflicted as he froze to the spot, just before the bottom of the stairs. He cleared his throat awkwardly and waved a small wooden carving in his hands before saying, “Excuse me, my Lady, I’ll just-”

 

“It’s fine,” she interrupted, turning to fully face him. “You don’t need to run.” He still looked uncomfortable, but he at least didn’t rush from the barn. She glanced at the carving in his hands. “What is that?”

 

“This? It’s just, umm…” He shook his head and lowered the carving a little. “Just a little something. I was making things for the kids, but...I’m not sure if they will take them from me anymore.” His eyes cast down towards the floor. “Everyone knows now what I am.”

 

Aravae pursed her lips. She approached him and held a hand out. “May I see it?”

 

He handed it over. She held it delicately and admired the detail in the small carving of a dragon. She felt the corner of her lips pull up slightly. “My husband used to whittle.”

 

“Ah, did he?” He sounded slightly intrigued.

 

“Yes. He was very good. He made all our furniture and many small toys for our daughter.” She turned the dragon around in her hand once more before offering it back to him. “It’s of great make. You’re quite talented at it.”

 

“I, erm...thank you, my Lady.”

 

She frowned lightly and glanced out through the open doors of the barn. “Why are you headed out now with it? Surely the children are all still asleep.”

 

“I was just...going to leave it for them. Like I said, I don’t know if they would accept it from me any longer, but...I want them to have something to play with. Something to hold on to. They may still not play with it, but...at least I tried.”

 

“Do you mind if I accompany you?”

 

Rainier blinked a couple of times. “Pardon?”

 

She arched an eyebrow. “May I come along?”

 

“Umm...of course.”

 

Aravae gestured for him to start off leading the way. She walked just slightly behind him in pace, watching his hands nervously fiddle with the dragon. He inhaled sharply before inquiring, “Why are you being kind to me, my Lady?”

 

It was a loaded question, wrought with pain and genuine confusion. Aravae turned her gaze towards him, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was focused on the ground in front of him. “You made a mistake,” she began, “a very large one. You were young, inexperienced, and stupid. Since then, you’ve grown and matured and realized what a terrible mistake it was and you’ve shed your own blood to try and right things. I’m not saying that what you did wasn’t horrible, but...I can sympathize. I was in a similar situation once.”

 

His voice was soft. “...You were?”

 

“Yes. I assume you don’t know much on the stories of the Evanuris…” Aravae glanced around them, then wrapped a sound barrier around them, just in case. Though the courtyard was rather deserted, she didn’t want anyone who didn’t need to know overhearing her. “The man I served long ago, Falon’din, was once a kind man. Unfortunately, something corrupted his mind and he became a tyrannical dictator towards his people. In order to gain more followers, he tried to start a war. I, being his general, was clearly supposed to obey him and order my troops to go out and start murdering innocents. I tried to fight against this decision, but...I paid the price for disobeying my master. In the end, I was forced to fight and I was forced to murder.” She paused to clear her throat and inhale sharply. “It affected me in horrible ways and it kept me up at nights for a long, long time. I still have nightmares thinking about it. However, I try not to let that act define me. I could see the hate and disgust in everyone’s eyes as they looked at me, but they didn’t know what had happened when they weren’t looking. They don’t know how I was forced into it. They just saw a loyal general following orders.”

 

“That’s… That’s terrible,” Rainier murmured genuinely. “I’m so sorry.”

 

“It was long ago,” she replied quickly. “I still think about it frequently, but I’ve found my ways to move past it and to try and make amends. So...that’s just why I say I somewhat understand your situation.”

 

“I appreciate you sharing that. It...does help to not feel entirely alone in this.”

 

Aravae gave a nod, but it fell silent between them after that. Their walk didn’t take much longer before Rainier stopped before a door. Beyond it was the children. Aravae stood still, just off to the side, waiting to see what he would do. His grip was strong on the wooden dragon. His free hand started to hover to the door, but it fell to his side again. He heaved a heavy sigh, then knelt down, placing the carving just out of the way of the door. He looked at it for a moment, then rose, exchanged a glance with Aravae, nodded his head, and went on his way. Aravae watched him go for a few seconds, then looked back to the dragon. Just as she was about to move towards it, the door creaked open.

 

Someone - an attendant to the children, most likely - stopped in the doorway, jumping slightly when she spotted Aravae. “Era’tarasyl’nin. Forgive me, you startled me,” the elven woman said softly. “Can I help you?”

 

She hummed in her throat, then gestured to the carving on the floor. “I had accompanied someone who wanted to give that to the children, but he just left. I...don’t think he wanted to disturb their sleep.”

 

“Ah, it was Ser Blackwall, wasn’t it?” The woman didn’t seem to reveal much emotion one way or another. “I see.” She bent over and picked it up, admiring it in her hands. “I will place it inside, then. Thank you.”

 

“Of course.” Aravae watched as the woman turned back into the room, leaving the door ajar. She peeked inside and saw a few rows of sleeping children on blankets and small bedrolls on the floor. Scattered all about were many wooden carvings, some newer, some with a little bit of use. She even saw one child clutching one as they slept on their side. Aravae smiled gently, then turned to head back the way she’d come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I'm not dead! *cheers* I just had some serious blockage on this chapter, but I was determined to get it out before I left for my honeymoon! Yes, my honeymoon~ I just got married! However, this unfortunately means it will be another long wait for the next chapter, so let me apologize about that. ;_; I feel like from here on, I have an idea for everything that will happen, so hopefully when I get a chance to sit down and go at it, the next chapter should be written relatively quickly.
> 
> Thank you all so much for your comments! I love reading them so, so much and I've even gone back and read some of them. :) I will see you all at the next one!


	45. Chapter 45

As the morning carried on, Aravae felt another small wave of nausea overcome her, but it passed more quickly than before. Once she felt normal, she took a ribbon and tied her hair up, which was the first time she’d done so willingly in...a long time. These days, she normally either left it down or she had it back in a braid. She set it in a bun, which kept up about half of it and the rest hung loose below. She set off towards the atrium, glancing at Solas’s paintings before climbing up the stairs. In the room, amidst the noisy crows, was Charter, flipping through papers and frowning deeply. When she noticed Aravae’s approach, she stood from the desk and gave her a salute. “Era’tarasyl’nin. How may I help you?”

 

“I just thought I’d come by and see if there was anything I could help you with. I can’t imagine the load is easy with all three of our war counselors absent.” Aravae glanced pointedly at the stacks of papers.

 

“We received word from Lady Nightingale that they pressed on through the night, so they should be here by tomorrow morning…” Charter relaxed and run a hand through her hair. “I think we should be able to manage everything until then. Thankfully, there aren’t any visiting dignitaries, so we don’t have to worry about entertaining anyone. There should be an arriving caravan of supplies we’ve been waiting on, but that will be later this afternoon. The healing tents are preparing for the influx of people we’re sure to have when the troops arrive from the Arbor Wilds, so they may need to have some extra herbs. But we already have people out gathering what they can up here.”

 

Aravae raised an impressed eyebrow. “It sounds like you have things well under control.”

 

“Lady Nightingale has taught me well.” Charter allowed herself a slight smile. “I do know that the Lady Ambassador sometimes has to scold the Inquisitor into making sure she fills out her own paperwork, so…”

 

“So perhaps I should take Josephine’s spot for the day in that aspect?” Aravae laughed softly. “I’ll make sure to check in on her. She was working on it yesterday, so I think Josie would be proud.”

 

“Indeed! But I can’t think of anything else that needs attending to. I appreciate you offering, Era’tarasyl’nin.”

 

“Of course. Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be around.”

 

“Thank you.” Charter gave her another quick salute before Aravae turned on heel and exited the room, making the journey back down the stairs.

 

What was she going to do with her day? She didn’t feel like exerting much physically, not with how she was feeling. Still, she didn’t want to just be idle all day. It didn’t feel like she should be relaxing after everything that had happened yesterday. She was already wanting to go back and check on everything with Abelas and Raynia to make sure things were beginning to transition. Had Felassan found any trace of other elvhen yet? 

 

She sighed lightly at herself. She was getting too worked up. It had barely been twenty four hours since she’d first arrived back at the Temple of Mythal. Felassan was out there somewhere, likely trying to get reports to Solas. Things would work out in their own time. She’d been patient for this long. She could handle a little longer. First things first, she should go and check in with Ena.

 

There was signs of stirring in the Great Hall, people starting to walk a little more erect instead of slouching and dragging their feet. She understood their pain. She didn’t want to be awake so early yet, either. However, the sun was beginning to rise, so Ena would definitely be up and about. As for whether or not she had left her room yet was to be seen. Aravae walked up the last of the stone steps and knocked gently on Ena’s door. It only took a moment before she heard the redhead’s voice speak up and bid her to enter.

 

She stepped inside and walked up into the main section of the room. Ena was sitting on the couch, cross-legged, and had the doors open, letting the chilly morning air in. Her hair was still down, so it was likely she hadn’t been up for long yet. Still, she greeted Aravae with a smile. “Good morning.”

 

“Good morning,” Aravae replied with a small smile of her own. “I happened to get up early, so I’m just checking around to see what I can do to help.”

 

“I haven’t been awake long, so I’m still just…” Ena made a vague waving gesture with her hands. “Processing. Oh, would you like to sit? Sit, please.”

 

“Thank you.” Aravae sank down onto the couch beside of her and drew one leg up, bending it so that she could shift and face Ena. “I went to talk to Charter and it sounds like she has things very much under control. It sounds like Cullen, Josie, and Leliana will be here by tomorrow morning. Apparently they’re riding pretty hard.”

 

“Okay, that sounds good. I’ll feel better having them here. I feel like this entire...thing would just collapse without them here.”

 

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Aravae scolded. “You hold it together very well. You’re very easily the most important part of the Inquisition.”

 

“Because of this.” Ena raised her hand, which sparked with magic. “If it weren’t for the other three, we would not have gotten very far at all.”

 

“Yes, well, that’s all what being part of a team means. Others help make up for what we lack. Still, I know it isn’t easy being seen as the figurehead in charge.”

 

“Right, you said you led an army before, didn’t you?” She pursed her lips together. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Why are you apologizing?”

 

“I’m sure that can’t have been easy for you.”

 

Aravae gestured to Ena. “You’re practically doing the exact same thing.”

 

“But again, I have help! Nevermind, I didn’t mean to bring it up to talk about it anyways.” She shook her head and a light flush came to her freckled cheeks. “So what will you be doing today?”

 

“I’m not certain. It doesn’t really sound like I’m needed anywhere and I’m…”

 

Ena hummed in question. “You’re…?”

 

“I’m sorry. I’m just not feeling well.”

 

Ena frowned deeply with concern. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you ill. Are you okay?”

 

Aravae bit her lip lightly, trying to decide if she should elaborate and tell Ena what was on her mind. “I’m… Yes, I’ll be okay, I think.”

 

“Let me know if I can get you anything, okay?”

 

“I will. Don’t be such a mamae,” she teased.

 

“Someone needs to watch over you from time to time!”

 

“Heh. I suppose that is a fair enough statement. I’m normally the one mothering all of you.”

 

With that, Aravae gave Ena a smile and a light squeeze on the shoulder as she stood up from the couch and left the room. She meandered outside, overlooking the courtyard and where a few remaining soldiers were sparring. She didn’t feel much like sparring. Or going for a walk. Or doing much of anything, really. She just felt exhausted and drained of energy. She glanced towards the healer’s tent, then bit her bottom lip.

 

She didn’t need to go. She just...wanted some sort of secondary confirmation. But what would she do if they told her what she was thinking? It would make it incredibly more real and ten times as more dangerous for her. She would be thrown into the rear, kept as far away from battle as possible. Sure, that is where she preferred to be anyways, but not when her friends were out there risking their lives. She needed to be there to help protect them.

 

Her feet started moving when she felt the shift in the air just before the light crackling noise reached her ears. Cole stood at her side, brows furrowed with worry, though it was hard to tell between his bangs and the hat. “You are afraid, Aravae.”

 

“Yes...I suppose I am,” she admitted softly. “Cole, would you… Would you come with me? I feel like it may...possibly help me some.”

 

“Of course,” he replied before a heartbeat had even passed. “Where are we going?”

 

“Down to the healer’s tent.”

 

“Can they help your sickness?” he inquired as he started moving, staying right at Aravae’s side.

 

“Well...I don’t think they can truly help it, but...they can tell me what’s causing it.”

 

Cole hummed for a moment, casting his gaze forward. “The cries, the wails, the laughs, the sound of small feet pattering around, her eyes, her curls, her sweet, sweet face looking up at me. Never again thought I could love so much to end up back here, but maybe, just maybe, I can. I can hold her and love her but she can’t ever replace her, my sweet little Estelar.”

 

Aravae tensed a little, but didn’t scold Cole since there wasn’t anyone - namely Solas - who was around to hear him. Hearing her deep internal thoughts be given voice made her feel both sadness and guilt. It was true. She had never thought she would love anyone ever again to the point where she would even consider having a future with them. Experiencing these discomforts again reminded her of Estelar. How scared she had been the first time, how terrified she was things would go wrong or that she would be a horrible mother. For some silly reason, she felt like having another child after her first one had been ripped from her so violently made her feel like she was betraying Estelar in some way. It was ridiculous, it really was. Had her daughter lived, she would no doubt be ecstatic and wanting to be a full part of this child’s life.

 

...If...if she really was pregnant. She figured she would find out soon.

 

When she came to the flap of the tent, she froze, staring at the fabric. Her heart started racing and her hands became clammy. She felt short of breath. 

 

“It’s alright,” Cole said calmly. “I’m here. I will help you.”

 

“...Yes. You’re right. Thank you, Cole.”

 

The two ducked inside the tent.

 

* * *

 

When Solas pulled himself out of his tomes that he’d been reading and studying almost all day long, he jerked when the rotunda door opened and someone walked in, their very footsteps sounding angry. Morrigan was all but stomping in, lines on her face from frowning and disgust on her face. Just behind her was none other than Abelas, shooting his own displeased expression at the back of her head. The witch tossed an arm out, gesturing to Abelas as she hissed softly, “Well, here is your brethren using  _ my _ eluvian,  _ elf _ .”

 

Abelas came up to her side, his footsteps considerably more quiet than hers. Though irritation was in his voice, he spoke calmly to her, albeit with an icy chill. “The eluvian does not belong to  _ you, shemlen. _ I do not need your permission to come and go.”

 

“Oh? So we shall just have more like you or maybe even others who learn the password just come through on a whim? Someone like Corypheus, should he discover another eluvian somewhere that is usable?” 

 

“I think the last thing we need to worry about is that  _ cretin _ , especially since his last ditch effort was to claim the Vir’abelasan. With that out of his grasp, he has not way of even learning where other eluvians are, let alone how to operate them.”

 

Solas rose from his chair, holding out his hands. “Could we not argue about this here? Perhaps we could go somewhere more private?”

 

Morrigan scoffed, turning her glower to Solas. “No need. I shall take my leave. But do not think for a moment that this is finished.”

 

Before he could even reply, she spun on her heel and exited the room with a rather loud slamming of the door, which echoed throughout the entire atrium. Several heads popped over the side, Dorian in particular looking at Solas with a highly arched brow. He shook his head at the Tevene, then turned his attention to Abelas, casting a sound barrier with a flick of his wrist.  _ “What is it?” _ he inquired in elvhen, just in case.

 

_ “I have things well under control at the temple, have no fear of that. I am here because I thought you would like to know that I have located the source of how you can destroy Corypheus.” _

 

Solas raised his brows in shock.  _ “So soon?” _

 

_ “I spent much of the morning and afternoon meditating. I found a way to calm the voices and that if I merely asked a question, they would give me the answer. It took several tries, but I have found it for you. You must defeat the dragon he has with him.” _

 

_ “...Why the dragon?” _

 

_ “It is a creature in which Corypheus has invested some of his own power. If you manage to kill it, his ability to transport to another body in order to survive will no longer be possible. However, there is...something that disturbs me some.” _ He paused and looked towards his feet before meeting Solas’s eyes again.  _ “There is a voice telling me to go to Mythal’s altar. They are saying...she will come. What do you know of this, Fen’harel?” _

 

Solas felt a chill run up his spine. It was finally happening, wasn’t it? It was the last of his secrets that he hadn’t shared, come out into the light. He took a long inhale and shook his head.  _ “Not here. We need to discuss this with Aravae as well. Do you mind? We’ll find her and go somewhere much more private.” _

 

_ “...Very well.” _

 

Solas nodded in thanks and removed his barrier. He reached out with his aura across Skyhold, trying to hone in on Aravae’s location. Now that he thought about it, it had to be getting late, judging by the size of his candlesticks and how long they’d been burning. He hadn’t seen her all day. Had she perhaps gone outside of the walls for a day of quiet?

 

No, she hadn’t. He touched her aura and it provided him with warmth and comfort. She was in her room for the time being. Hopefully she stayed there. He gestured to Abelas and the two men set off to her tower. Solas checked on occasion as they walked and it seemed that she wasn’t moving at all. Most likely, she was reading. It would also explain why he hadn’t seen her all day. It was hard to pull her nose out of a book.

 

He gave a polite knock on her door and waited until he heard her clear her throat, then bid him to enter. When he walked in, he saw that she was sitting on the bed, knees pulled up to her chest and Banal’ras curled up atop the bed, just in front of her. She looked a little surprised to see Abelas enter in behind him. “What’s going on?” she asked quickly. “Is everything okay?”

 

Abelas was the one to cast a barrier this time before relaying all of the information he’d just given Solas. She listened intently, her brows drawn together with focus. When he mentioned Mythal’s altar and what the voices said about that, her eyes slowly dragged over to look at Solas. She parted her lips, then closed them. She inhaled sharply and demanded, “Solas. Is she still alive? I thought she was killed.”

 

This was it. It was time. He prepared his words mentally before replying, “A piece of her still lives on, enfused in the body of a human woman. You have heard the Dalish speak of her, calling her Asha’bellanar.”

 

“...Yes, Ena mentioned something about that before. I never put much thought into it once I learned she was human. I figured she was a witch who had somehow found a way to preserve her youth, but…”

 

“In reality, it is Mythal. She has harbored this body for a very long time. I found her not long after my awakening. Or rather, she found me.” He clenched his hands and lowered his eyes, unable to meet Aravae’s gaze. “I explained to her what was happening and that I couldn’t unlock my orb. She told me to wait and be patient.” With a humorless scoff, he continued. “The last thing I could think of was being patient at that point. All I could see was how I ruined the world and how I wanted to return it to normal. My agents informed me of Corypheus, possibly the only other being strong enough to open my orb. Mythal warned me not to do it, but...clearly, I didn’t listen. If the voices of the Vir’abelasan are telling you to go to her altar, then she may be more involved in this than I previously thought.”

 

“Involved? Involved how?” 

 

“I’m...not sure.”

 

When Abelas at last spoke, he sounded confused and slightly hurt. “She has been alive all these years? Then...why? Why did she never come to us? Why did she not make her presence known?”

 

“I cannot speak for her,” Solas said apologetically. “It was not my place to say, either. She asked me to keep quiet.”

 

When he finally looked back to Aravae, he could see she had zoned out, likely thinking of many things at once. However, the more he looked, the more he could see that fear was slowly creeping out onto her face. She inquired softly, “Does that...mean that the others all survived? Could they have put a fraction of their being into someone else before they were banished to the Beyond?”

 

She asked because of Falon’din. “No,” he answered in an instant. “The others are trapped and they are not within this world.”

 

She nodded slowly. “...Okay.”

 

“Then we must go.” Abelas glanced between them. “We must go and speak with her and learn-”

 

“Ena needs to come with us,” Aravae interjected. “She has a right to. She needs to.”

 

His nostrils flared a little. “I do not understand why you both put so much faith in her. But I know that I cannot talk you out of it, either. Well, go collect her. We should leave soon.”

 

“For being one of the People, you sure are quite hurried all the time,” Solas commented dryly.

 

“You’re telling me that you wouldn’t want to go immediately after learning of something like this?” 

 

“I...do have to agree with Abelas on this one, Solas.” She rose from her bed, Banal’ras stepping down onto the floor as well. “I will go get her and meet you both at the eluvian.”

 

She left ahead of the two of them, her loyal panther following, but they left her room right behind her. The two men walked in silence, heading for the storage room, Solas feeling like the silence between them was thick and heavy. Still, Abelas did not speak. As they passed through the courtyard, Solas kept his eyes peeled for Morrigan, since the gardens seemed to be a common spot to find her, but thankfully, he did not see her. He did a quick sweep with his aura to ensure that she wasn’t lying in wait within the room with the eluvian, but he thankfully felt nothing but the magical pulse of the mirror. They stepped inside and waited. Well, Abelas paced but Solas stood still, leaning against the wall until the door opened again.

 

Aravae and Ena stepped through, the redhead looking thoroughly puzzled. The moment the door closed, she murmured, “Mythal?”

 

“We all have questions for this,” Solas assured her. “The easiest way for us to get the answers is to just go.”

 

Ena sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging some. “I left word with Charter that we would be back soon. Bull said he would help Vivienne keep things in line until we get back.”

 

“Then let us be off.” Abelas raised a hand and unlocked the eluvian, stepping through it first. Solas gestured, letting the women go ahead of him, and he followed through after pausing for just a moment, secretly hoping this wasn’t about to blow up in his face.

 

Abelas led the way to the eluvian that brought them back into the Arbor Wilds, but instead of heading in towards the Temple of Mythal, he veered off another direction, walking with certainty. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the footsteps of the four elves. At least Aravae had apparently thought to leave Banal’ras behind. Solas wasn’t sure what to expect at all out of his encounter.

 

The walk was long, but it was traveled in complete silence. Everyone was undoubtedly trapped within their own minds, thinking of what was to come and what they had just learned about. Solas found it best to not disturb the quiet. He wasn’t even fully sure if Mythal would really come. He wondered if she knew that the others knew about his true identity. He just wasn’t sure about  _ her _ . There was much of her that had changed over all these years. She was no longer the same person he once knew and cherished, but...there was still something there that reminded him of the old her.

 

“Here it is,” Abelas announced at long last as they entered a clearing filled with flowers and a tall statue. “This is all that is left.”

 

They only stopped when they were close enough to see all the detail in the statue. Ena gazed up at it before looking at the back of Abelas’s head. “You know what to do in order to summon her?”

 

“Yes.” Abelas bowed his head and held out his hands, palms upward. “I call upon you, Mythal. I invoke your name and your power and am the last to drink from your Vir’abelasan. Please, come to me.”

 

It was only then that a light breeze began to blow in the still forest. A few butterflies flitted about just above them. But then there was a presence. A presence powerful enough that even Ena must have felt it, because she tensed and turned at the same time as the mages. From the backside of the clearing, a woman stalked towards them with white haired, styled in such a way with a headpiece that resembled dragon horns. Her golden eyes shone and her lips raised up in a smirk. She set a hand upon her hip. “Well, isn’t this a surprise. And of course you came along, my daughter. No need to hide. Come and show yourself.”

 

Solas narrowed his eyes when he saw none other than Morrigan appear from the far side of the clearing, not far behind Mythal. However, her face was twisted with shock and rage. 

 

“...Daughter?” Aravae echoed softly.

 

“I cannot say I’m surprised she followed us,” Solas murmured with a hint of spite. There would be no hiding their identities from her now. 

 

“You are a deceiving witch, Mother!” Morrigan spat, her voice suddenly more shrill than any of them had heard yet. Her magic swirled around her and she lifted her arms.

 

Mythal sighed as though she were bored. She didn’t even spare a glance towards Morrigan. Her eyes locked onto Abelas. “Be a dear and restrain her, would you?”

 

With a snap of her fingers, Abelas suddenly fadestepped across the clearing and appeared before Morrigan, casting a quick spell to disarm her magic. In addition, he grabbed hold of her arms and forced them down. He held tight and did not let go.

 

“What are you doing?!” Morrigan roared. “What...are you doing?!”

 

“The Well,” Abelas muttered. “I cannot control my body.”

 

Morrigan froze in her struggle and only then did Mythal release Abelas from her control. The raven haired woman took a shuddering breath. “Then... _ you _ are Mythal?”

 

Ena apparently could do no more than repeat her. “You...are Mythal?”

 

The older woman chuckled. “You invoke that name so easily. I wonder if you know what it means?”

 

“I do not understand!” Morrigan’s voice trembled, as though on the verge of tears. “How can you be Mythal?”

 

Her eyes suddenly drifted and locked onto Aravae. Solas glanced at his lover and saw how she grew rigid, but didn’t look away. Mythal spoke, “Once I was but a woman, crying out in the lonely darkness for justice. And she came to me.” She lifted her head and Solas heard a soft exhale of breath from Aravae. “A wisp of an ancient being and she granted me all I wanted and more. I have carried Mythal through the ages ever since, seeking the justice denied to her.”

 

Abelas took a step forward. “Then...you are not truly her?”

 

“She is a part of me,” she confirmed. “No more separate than your heart from your chest. What do the voices tell you,  _ Abelas _ ?”

 

He fell silent, closing his eyes with concentration. Only a moment passed before he whispered, “They say you speak the truth…”

 

The smirk rose again on Mythal’s lips and she set her eyes on another person in her presence. She stalked forward, Solas and Aravae stepping aside since her gaze was not on them. She came to a halt before Ena, who looked to be in awe, along with a mixture of plenty other emotions. “A herald, indeed,” Mythal hummed, pleased. Shouting to the heavens, a harbinger of a new age. Although...I understand that you are not the only one to be bringing in such an age.” Her golden eyes passed to Aravae, her expression unchanging. “As for me, I have had many names. You may call me Flemeth.”

 

Ena found her courage to speak again. “How can you be both Mythal  _ and _ Morrigan’s mother?”

 

“She is also a witch who prolongs her unnatural life by possessing the bodies of her daughters,” Morrigan retorted coldly.

 

Mythal - no, Flemeth - raised a bemused brow and tilted her head, looking back at her daughter. “That’s what you believe, is it?”

 

“I found your grimoire and I am no fool, old woman.”

 

“Ha! If only that were so. My daughter ran from me long ago. I’ve let her be...until now, it seems.”

 

When a slight pause fell, Abelas spoke up again. “If Mythal is within you, why do you not reveal yourself? Why do you not return to your loyal subjects?”

 

Flemeth’s amusement fell away. “I knew the hearts of men long before Mythal came to me. It is  _ why _ she came to me. If I were to make myself known to the elves, then everyone would soon know and they do not  _ want _ the truth. Not to mention...I am but a shadow, lingering in the sun.”

 

“...Why did Mythal come to you?” Aravae demanded.

 

“For a reckoning that will shake the very heavens.”

 

Before Aravae could demand an elaboration, Morrigan spoke again, “And you follow her whims? Do you even know what she truly is?”

 

“Hmm. You seek to preserve the powers that were, but to what end? It is because I taught you, girl. Because things that happened were never meant to happen. She was betrayed as I was betrayed...as the world was betrayed.” Her eyes locked onto Solas and he felt a pang of guilt so strong, he took a step back, his chest stinging. Flemeth was not yet finished, though. She made a wide gesture with her arms as her voice rose. “Mythal clawed and crawled her way through the ages to me and I will see her avenged! Alas...so long as the music plays...we dance.”

 

Solas at last brought his voice into the mix. “Myth- Flemeth. We summoned you because we needed to ask for your help.”

 

“Yes, Dread Wolf.” Morrigan’s eyes widened as those words left Flemeth’s lips. “Against this magister who grasps beyond his reach. The voices did not lie to Abelas. I can help you.” She paused and raised a hand, a pulse of magic emitting from it. “The altar’s guardian will come. Master the dragon and it will be yours to command against Corypheus. Fail...and die.”

 

With those ominous words, she brushed past Morrigan and Abelas, heading for the exit. Morrigan spun around and reached out for only a second. “Wait-!”

 

It was enough to stop her. She glanced back at them. “I wished to see who had drank from the Well of Sorrows. It has been a  _ very  _ long time. I am glad to see it was you, Abelas, though...I must admit that I am surprised it was not another in our company. You remain vigilant as ever in your planning, Aravae. But now I have seen...and he is free to go.”

 

“But...what of us?”

 

Flemeth shook her head, a sad smile now on her lips. “A soul is not forced upon the unwilling, Morrigan. You were never in danger from me.”

 

“Flemeth,” Aravae called, stepping forward. Solas reached out to grasp her wrist, but she moved too quickly and he couldn’t pull her back. He didn’t know why, but seeing her approaching the remnants of Mythal made him uneasy. Still, Aravae made sure to stop with several feet between them. “You say she came to you for a reckoning that will shake the heavens. If you know what I am trying to achieve...is involving others in your own personal vengeance truly necessary?”

 

“You of all people should understand me, Aravae. With how you lost your family, tell me you did not seek out your vengeance, using people along the way. I never said I do so without thought and without feeling.” Flemeth narrowed her eyes. “Tell me, if the people you cared for betrayed you, slaughtered everyone you loved, and they then lived...would you stand idly by?”

 

“If it meant causing potential mass devastation in my wake...I would find some other way.”

 

“Then what do you think I have been doing all this time? Sitting on my hands?” Aravae jerked and was stunned into silence. “You are not the only one who plans for the far future, girl. I have a feeling that at some point in the coming years...I will be seeing the two of you again.”

 

With no more spoken, Flemeth vanished in a cloud of black smoke and the forest fell still once more. Morrigan was the first to croak out, “All things now considered, I am...glad that I am not the one who was to partake of the well.”

 

“Naturally,” Abelas grumbled. “Someone like you cannot understand the full weight of all of this knowledge of a lost people.”

 

Morrigan cast him a nasty glare before turning her focus elsewhere. “But you two. I knew there was something odd, but… Dread Wolf?  _ You  _ are Fen’harel?”   
  


“Was,” Solas corrected quickly. “It was only a title.”

 

“Then what does that make you?”

 

Aravae exhaled slowly. “A long survivor of a slaughter from long ago. I served him after leaving the service of my former lord, Falon’din. We someone both managed to survive until today.”

 

“I...see. I would say I find this hard to believe, but since I have seen with my own eyes all that remains with the Temple of Mythal and considering what just occurred...I-”

 

An ear-shattering roar and heavy flapping wings interrupted the witch. The party of four mages and one rogue reached for their weapons and looked skyward just in time. They spread out, careful to not be crushed underfoot as a dragon landed in the middle of the clearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone, I have returned! Thank you all so much for your well wishes and understanding on the small break. Our trip was fantastic and now I'm back and ready to get more writing done! I hope that you all liked this chapter, despite the fact that it was mainly dialogue. We have a few more fun things to get to before the end comes~
> 
> I'll see you all soon! <3


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